House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted “Happy birthday, Secretary White! Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our state and our country. Your dedication and guidance have opened doors for generations of young Black leaders in Illinois.” 

Welch tweeted images from what he said was an “exciting day in the Village of Maywood” for the groundbreaking of a new $40 million senior living center.  

Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) issued a statement about the recent fatal shootings of Yasmin Perez and Gyovanni Arzuaga in Humboldt Park.  

Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) tweeted about an upcoming July 22 webinar he is hosting about identity theft and fraud with KCT Credit Union.  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted images from a recent resource fair held in his district.  

Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority on Wednesday announced 70,000 new applications have been submitted in four weeks for the latest round of financial assistance for Illinois renters.   

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “Someone explain to [Mayor Lori Lightfoot] it was HER FLOOR LEADER that moved to adjourn. It was HER ALLIES that voted to leave. It is HER FAILURES AS MAYOR on full display today. Lightfoot should open Friday with an apology to Chicago for wasting their time & money.” 

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20) tweeted “Protect all Black women means protect all Black women. Period. The Mayor's office does not get to try and dismiss the case of Anjanette Young and then carry on business as usual.” 

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “City council meetings are getting crazier every time. MLL leaving her seat to come argue with my colleague is something I didn’t expect today.” 

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Legislative tools like defer and publish are at our disposal and legislators should use them in a principled manner to advance justice. That's what Ald. Taylor and Ald. Lopez did today, and they did it in the face of mayoral threats. I applaud them.” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted a video explaining “’What Happened in City Council Today?’ or ‘How to Send a Meeting Spiraling into Chaos.’” and wrote, “Today, the Mayor and her allies ran roughshod over the Rules of Order in attempt to cherry pick to ensure we’d adjourn and come back for a new meeting on Friday.”

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced plans on Wednesday to close some city-run vaccination sites as officials shift toward “hyperlocal distribution,” according to a news release from the department. The United Center vaccination site is set to close Thursday, and a vaccination site at Malcolm X College is scheduled to reopen June 28. The Malcolm X site will be open from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. While the drive-thru site at Chicago State University closed Saturday, the site is still taking walk-up appointments, according to the news release. The Chicago State walk-up sit is scheduled to close July 3. Additionally, the city’s vaccination sites at Kennedy King College, Richard J. Daley College and Wilbur Wright College are set to administer first doses of the Pfizer vaccine through July 3 before closing July 24.

Matthew DeLeon will retire as secretary of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Forest Preserve District Board on July 31, he announced on Wednesday. DeLeon has served as secretary to the board since 2007, and he previously spent 13 years working at the county's Bureau of Administration. He will remain in the unpaid position of Cook County Historian.

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted images after she recently met with German Consul General Wolfgang Moessinger.  

Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) tweeted an image after he recently spoke with students as part of jobs partnership program in his district.  

Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Plainfield) tweeted “I’m happy to offer mobile office hours at the village of Oswego’s City Hall. We can provide a variety of services such as helping area residents with unemployment claims, FOID cards, connecting residents with state resources and much more.”  

Rep. Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee) issued a statement about bill she supported that is headed to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk and seeks to “increase research of carbon capture technology.”  

House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) tweeted an image from a recent state Democratic Party fundraiser, adding “I was proud to support Chairwoman @RobinLynneKelly and @demsforillinois yesterday.”  

Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) tweeted “wonderful to see so many friends! Great event, great enthusiams. Thanks, @demsforillinois” 

In honor of Pride Month in June, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services on Tuesday called on Illinoisans to support LGBTQ youth in the agency’s care by becoming licensed foster parents. In a news release, the agency said it is “working diligently” to expand its network of “gender-affirming therapists, service providers, health care professionals, agencies and organizations” across Illinois. The agency aid it is planning to launch required LGBTQ training for staff, private agency partners and foster home caregivers this summer to help ensure youth are receiving the best care possible.   

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity will hold a virtual discussion on June 23 at 10 a.m. about “Minority LGBTQ+ access to capital resources.” Registration is required.   

Ald. Sophia King (4) tweeted information about a job fair her ward office is hosting June 29-30. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “I have voted against several ‘last minute’ substitutions during today’s Zoning Committee because apparently that is what we do now. Or is it?” 

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted photos of himself participating in the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization “We Walk for Her” march alongside Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20) and Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33). “Chicagoans are demanding an end to violence against Black women and girls,” he wrote. 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) invited “transportation advocates” to conceive and submit project ideas for the city’s Equitable Transit-Oriented Development program. 

Cook County Comm. Dennis Deer (D-2) in his latest newsletter congratulated the Cook County Department of Public Health “on a major milestone, administering over 1.2 million vaccines to the residents of Cook County.” 

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) celebrated the passage of his proposed Gender Inclusive Documents and Forms Ordinance from the Cook County Board Human Relations Committee on Tuesday.

All Chicagoans aged 12 and over are now eligible to take advantage of the Chicago Department of Public Health’s in-home vaccination program, the department announced on Tuesday. Grubhub has agreed to donate gift cards valued at $50 each household that seeks out an at-home vaccination, officials said. Residents can book the in-home vaccination appointments online, and the gift card distribution will begin June 28. Up to 10 people can be vaccinated per household, and they will be able to choose whether they want to receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine or single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot, officials said.

Rep. Barbara Hernandez (D-Aurora) tweeted she is looking for a “full-time constituent case associate at her district office.” 

Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Riverwoods) tweeted about an upcoming “coffee and connect” event she is hosting on June 26.  

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) tweeted about an upcoming community shred day event she is hosting on June 26.  

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted images after she took a recent tour of construction of a new restaurant in her district.  

 Sen. Terri Bryant (D-Murphysboro) tweeted an image from a recent blood drive she participated in.  

Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) is set to host a legislative wrap-up on June 22 at 5:30 p.m. on Facebook. 

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2) in his latest newsletter promoted “Meanwhile,” a new public space set to open next to Lincoln Yards’ Fleet Fields on July 15. The space will feature three new basketball courts, a performance space and a “designated area” for food, drinks and “small shop operators.” 

 Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “I’m outraged by the fatal shooting following the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade. We are transitioning from a city of neighborhoods celebrating our ethnic pride to a city of war zones grieving our weekly dead. It’s not someone else’s problem. It must stop!” 

Ald. Michael Scott (24) tweeted a link to a “simplified online tool which will allow families not automatically enrolled in the program to receive the Child Tax Credit.” 

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted that this is the final week for donations to his ward office’s youth bike donation drive. “We've already received 40 donations, but hoping for a few more to make sure all of the youth who requested bikes can receive one!” 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) in a tweet thanked Walmart for partnering with her and other aldermanic offices “to host a northside vaccine event. The second dose event was at Warren Park last Sunday, where over 150 people received their Pfizer vaccine!” 

Ald. Debra Silverstein (50) tweeted “We lost a major voice in the fight against bigotry and hatred with the passing of Fritzie Fritzshall, president of the Illinois Holocaust Museum. A Holocaust Survivor, she overcame the atrocities of Auschwitz and went on to dedicate her life to making this world a better place.” 

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.