• Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced two new appointments on Tuesday: Andrea Holthouse Cheng will lead the Department of Water Management, replacing Comm. Randy Conner, and Brandie Knazze will take over at the Department of Family and Support Services, replacing Comm. Lisa Morrison Butler. Cheng, who has worked at the water department since 2004, has been acting commissioner since January 2021. In a statement, Cheng said her priorities would be to “promote professionalism and create diversity” to make sure the department would be prepared to start replacing lead service lines and “expanding regional growth.” Prior to her appointment, Knazze worked as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services. In a statement, she said the importance of the department’s work had only become clearer throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• The City Council Democratic Socialist Caucus will host a Fair Wage Day of Action wage strike at 3 p.m. Wednesday “to show that the clear answer to the so-called worker "shortage" is clear: pay them a full, fair wage,” according to an event announcement. The caucus is collaborating on the event with One Fair Wage and Fight for 15, two campaigns advocating for a minimum wage of $15 per hour nationwide, as well as Service Workers United For Power, Women’s March, the Sunrise Movement, Ultraviolet, Women Take Action and Women2Win. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35), Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20), Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33) and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) will all speak at the action, located at 1028 N. Rush St.   

• Former Illinois treasurer and Democratic candidate for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday the Service Employees International Union State Council had endorsed his campaign. The union represents more than 150,000 workers in Illinois.  

Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago) tweeted, “The TEAACH Act just passed the Illinois Senate! This legislation would be a significant milestone for Asian Americans and will ensure that our stories and experiences are accurately reflected in our history curriculum.”

Sen. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago) passed HB 641 out of the Senate Tuesday. Thee bill would provide free menstrual products to college students in Illinois. In a statement, Villa said “every student has access to essentials like hand soap and toilet paper — menstrual products shouldn’t be any different.” 

Villa also passed HB 118 out of the Senate, which would entitle underpaid employees to damages equivalent to 5 percent of the amount by which they were underpaid. 

Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) passed HB 270, which requires the Illinois Department of Transportation to cover 100 percent of pedestrian infrastructure projects, out of the Senate Tuesday. 

Belt also passed a bill (HB 226) out of the house that allows students to choose whether to submit ACT/SAT scores to colleges and universities through the Higher Education Fair Admissions Act. In a statement, Belt said, “We know standardized tests are not reliable indicators of graduation rates. Taking a snapshot of a student’s high school years and reducing it down to a single test isn't fair.” 

Sen. Tony Munoz (D-Chicago) passed HB 1779 out of the Senate Tuesday, which requires insurance to cover biomarker testing. In a statement, Munoz said, “it’s necessary to give all patients access to these medical advancements, no matter their income level.”   

Sen. Robert Peters’ (D-Chicago) bill decriminalizing unknowing transmission of HIV-AIDS (HB 1063) will head to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. In a statement, Peters called laws criminalizing HIV “outdated, dangerous, discriminatory, and out of line with current science.” 

Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) passed a bill (HB 1290) out of the Senate that “would allow veterans whose discharge was solely based on their sexual orientation or gender identity to begin receiving state veterans benefits.” 

Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) passed a bill (HB 1162) out of the Senate Tuesday extending the Illinois School Code “to require instruction for grade school students to learn effective methods for drug abuse prevention and avoidance, including opioids and other substances.”

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) announced he will host a virtual meeting on June 28 to discuss a renewed push to rehabilitate the Congress Theater. 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) promoted a City Council order (Or2021-126) he introduced to censure Mayor Lori Lightfoot if she does not fill top positions, tweeting, “Chicago deserves a govt operating on all cylinders - something Lightfoot clearly isn’t capable of ensuring.” 

Ald. Matt O’Shea (19) promoted the Mt. Greenwood Community Food Drive set for 10 a.m. Thursday.

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez (33) tweeted about Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s unveiled plan for civilian oversight of police, writing, “MLL promised police reform during her campaign and ppl thought she would lead. Then she blocked the efforts to get it done. Then she watered down those efforts, wrapped them up and put a bow on it. The lack of leadership and respect for movement runs deep.” 

In a tweet, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36) knocked Mayor Lori Lightfoot for representation in her department leadership: “8% of @chicagosmayor Commissioners are Latino/a yet we make up 30% plus of the city’s population. A lot of discussion to be had moving forward on whether or not these appointments get support from the @ChiLatinoCaucus,” he wrote. 

Ald. Tom Tunney (44) tweeted in support of AIDS Garden Chicago, writing that the park “will be the city's first monument to honor the early days of the HIV epidemic and those who continue fighting today. 

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted about the proposed affordable housing development near MAT Asphalt in McKinley Park, writing “I have serious concerns about why we would even consider continuing to create conditions of environmental racism by trying to locate 120 units of affordable housing next to a known environmental hazard.”

• Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced she will promote Sybil Madison, currently the city’s deputy mayor for education and human services, to become the mayor’s next chief of staff. Madison will take over on June 2 for Maurice Classen, who has been chief of staff since Lightfoot came into office in 2019. The mayor separately announced that Paul Goodrich will become the city’s next chief operating officer next Tuesday, June 1. Goodrich, who previously owned a finance consulting firm, will be responsible for overseeing "infrastructure, transportation, regulatory and municipal administrative services” in the city under his new role, according to the mayor’s office.

• Lightfoot on Monday touted the opening of applications for the next round of the city’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which will distribute $79.8 million in federally sourced grants to people who have fallen behind on rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to qualify, renters must be able to prove that they live in Chicago, earn below-average income and have “suffered a hardship” due to the pandemic. Renters and landlords have until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8 to apply online or call a Chicago Department of Housing hotline at 312-698-0202. 

• Starting on Wednesday, Cook County Health will distribute 15,000 tickets to Six Flags Great America to anyone who shows up for a vaccine at a county-run site, the health system announced Monday. The county administers mass vaccination sites in Des Plaines, River Grove, Forest Park, Tinley Park, South Holland and Matteson, plus multiple mobile and community sites across the county.

• The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Discovery Partners Institute announced Monday a statewide system to monitor the virus that causes COVID-19 in wastewater. The virus is detectable in human waste days before symptoms may appear state officials said, while announcing a $5.5 million investment to build and support the monitoring system. The state and Discovery Partners Institute are set to begin sampling and analysis in 10 counties, with expansions planned for later in the year. The initial counties include Carroll, Cass, Franklin, Fulton, Jefferson, Lawrence, Livingston, Macon, Montgomery and Vermilion.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted, “Police must work 12-hour shifts with no days off because we don’t have a solid violence reduction strategy coming out of City Hall.”

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20) retweeted a Guardian article about the Obama Presidential Center which quoted her discussing the process of building a relationship with the Obama Foundation: “we’re learning to trust each other.”

Ald. Jason Ervin (28) tweeted, “Convelescing is no fun...” Ervin is recovering from a thyroid surgery.

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “Shout out to Mayor Lightfoot for dropping the GAPA Minus Ordinance for the Summer. Nothing like some weak tea for those hot days.”

Ald. Brendan Reilly (42) promoted his ordinance (O2021-2028) to impose price caps on ride-share trips, tweeting, “Sick & tired of ridiculously high surge prices for your ride home?”

Ald. Michele Smith (43) shared opportunities to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and news about updated street light in the Gold Coast in her weekly newsletter.

Ald. James Cappleman (46) tweeted, “the housing first model to address homelessness REALLY WORKS and it SAVES $. I will keep pushing for funds to provide needed housing for those who are living on the streets!”

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted about a new ordinance he introduced (O2021-2134), which he called “a modest, but common sense step to help address the significant racial wealth gap in Chicago.” The ordinance would “help Chicagoans transfer their deed without concern about their ability to pay outstanding water debt. In many situations, like a divorce, a new owner is not receiving money and may not be able to immediately pay the bill in full.”

Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Tinley Park) announced $70,948,000 in infrastructure upgrades for the South Suburbs financed by the Rebuild Illinois Plan. In a statement, Hastings said, “It is thrilling to witness that investment in public safety and job creation begin to pay off.” 

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted, “Hmm...redistricting transparency? Guess not. We have been told there are two hearings tomorrow and two hearings Wednesday, but as of yet no hearings are posted? How is the public supposed to participate? “ 

Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) retweeted a statement from the Illinois Restaurants Association, which commended him and Rep. Marcus Evans (D-Chicago) “for opposing tax increases on businesses trying to recover from the pandemic. Supporting HR 272 goes a long way in helping our industry recover. 

Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia) tweeted about passing HB 1092: “Red flag laws can keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of those who pose a risk to themselves or others. I passed new legislation that will create a public awareness campaign on IL's firearm restraining order law to educate the public on how to help prevent further tragedies.” 

Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) tweeted “glad the Chicago Sun-Times made it front page news that I refused to let a GOP senator get away with dog-whistling on the Senate floor. When we sit quietly through this kind of stuff we normalize it. As Illinois’ 1st queer senator, I will fight this kind of stuff tooth and nail.” The Sun-Times ran an article covering Simmons’ rebuke of Sen. Darren Bailey’s (R-Xenia) remark about "perversion” while discussing a sex education measure.

Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) tweeted about the redistricting process in a meme, writing “How it started: Candidate @JBPritzker "I pledge to veto" a map drawn by legislators. How it's going: @GovPritzker "Ok fine, I'll sign whatever this thing is."” 

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) celebrated the passage of the Marriage License Modernization Act in a tweet, writing “as the bill heads to Governor Pritzker's desk, we celebrate today and remember the immense work still to be done for equality across Illinois!”

Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) tweeted about the completed redistricting maps with an extended riff from the hit musical Hamilton, knocking Democrats for what Republicans have argued was an unnecessarily opaque process.

Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) called on the legislature to passs ethics reforms in the waning days of the legislative session. As of today, the Senate Ethics Committee has met only once all year,” DeWitte said in a statement before calling on legislators to pass the bill he is co-sponsoring, Senate Bill 1350.

Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) announced a capital improvement project in the 2nd District funded by the Rebuild Illinois plan, thanking Gov. JB Pritzker “for leading the way.”

Ald. Daniel La Spata (1) tweeted, “at the end of this hot weekend, there will be a lot of reporting on how many folks were shot and killed. In large part because our hopes for violence prevention are more based on the weather than investments in the health and stability of those at risk of gun violence.” 

George Cardenas (12) weighed in on the U.S. handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a tweet, writing “I'm not a socialist for sure but there comes a time when we have to see reality when we must see that if we espouse democratic values and ask other observe human rights then must be look at the Palestinian struggle in the same way.” 

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “One neighbor behind my house has a band playing in their garage while in front another‘s iTunes is stuck on repeat w/ the same damn song for the last 20 mins. I smell arrachera somewhere. My dogs are trying to sleep despite the fireworks. Welcome back #ChiSummer, we missed you!” 

Ald. Scott Waguespack (32) shared information about block parties and lead service line replacements in his weekly newsletter.  

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted about the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance: “The CPAC-GAPA unity ordinance for community control of the police, will be voted on next month. People power got us this far and people power will pass this ordinance,” he wrote. 

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted “Some academic types love to school members of marginalized groups about capitalism like we haven’t all grown up oppressed in it. There can be a mutual exchange of information if both sides are open enough to listen.”

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) shared some of the highlights of her first two years in office in her weekly newsletter, including the Block by Block program and affordable housing protections.

No announcements today. 

• Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) and Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22) are scheduled to hold a virtual informational meeting on Accessory Dwelling Units at 6 p.m. Thursday. Department of Housing policy director Daniel Hertz will be available to answer questions. Registration is available online. 

• Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday the launch of the Chicago Works Community Challenge and the Mayor’s Reimagine Chicago and a $10 million “community investment award” that is set to give up to $1.5 million in seven awards to the city’s seven planning regions. “Awards will be issued to fund community-identified enhancements to city-owned properties including, public parks, schools, libraries, or city-owned vacant lots in residential zones through the Chicago Works capital plan,” according to a news release from Lightfoot’s office. Applications will be available June 1 through Sept. 1 and city officials “will aim to break ground on many of the projects in 2022,” according to the news release. 

Ald. Sophia King (4) in her most recent newsletter included a photo of herself and the Grand Boulevard Advisory Council at a ribbon cutting at Sumac Park.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted “African Americans & Latinos STILL lag behind in getting vaccinated. Plenty of money wasted in poorly managed outreach. And this administration REFUSES to use aldermanic offices as vaccination sites.”

Ald. Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33) tweeted “2 years ago we took office and we’ve done so much! From protecting undocumented neighbors from ICE and tenants from eviction, democratizing zoning & ward budgeting, treatment not trauma legislation & so much more. Wear your support for our work! Pa’Lante” 

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) tweeted “Block parties, they're back. #MissionAccomplished”

Ald. Matt Martin (47) tweeted about his ward’s 2021 Participatory Budgeting winners including a new painted bike lane near Welles Park and additional tree plantings.

Ald. Maria Hadden (49) tweeted “It’s been 2 years! Happy 2nd anniversary to my team. We started off with an amazing crew and have grown from there. The 49th Ward Staff is committed, creative and resilient. I couldn’t do this work without you.”

• The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday it had recently awarded a $1 million grant to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Village of Robbins. The grant will be used to help mitigate flooding, improve water quality and restore a creek in the Little Calumet River Watershed. 

Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) tweeted “Child care is a necessity for employees returning to work— and for our economy as we bounce back from the pandemic. The #AmericanRescuePlan included $1.3 billion to keep daycares up and running for the working families who need them.” 

Rep. Will Guzzardi (D-Chicago) tweeted “One thing I'll be sad about with the redistricting process is that I always thought my district looked awesomely like a lion (specifically the Detroit Lions logo lion). Once I get a new map we're gonna have to figure out a new mascot. Prepare yourselves.” 

Sen. Win Stoller (R-East Peoria) tweeted “S.A.L.T. Bill update! SB 2531 has passed the full House and will be returning to the Senate for concurrence on a small technical change.” 

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) tweeted a photo of himself wearing a Foo Fighters mask “on the floor of the Illinois House of Reps.” 

Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) tweeted that this week is National EMS week and wrote, “Perhaps more than ever this past year, we celebrate EMS practitioners and the important work they do in our nation's communities. We honor and will always remember their places on the front line of the pandemic.”

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) tweeted “The time is now. The opportunity is here. We must pass a comprehensive clean energy bill this month that addresses climate change. We must use this opportunity to make an impact on the future of our planet. I support a #FossilFreeFuture!”

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) tweeted “Yesterday, the Illinois Senate took a moment to honor fallen officer Chris Oberheim, who was killed that morning while on-duty. My heart goes out to the family and friends of Officer Oberheim.”

Pace Bus announced Wednesday that Rick Kwasneski, the chair of the agency’s Board of Directors, is now an at large director for transit on the American Public Transportation Association Board of Directors. Kwasneski will hold the post for a two-year term. Kwasneski is a currently member of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee. In a statement, Kwasneski said his objective in his new role would be “to elevate the policy and advocacy work of the MPO Policy Committee to the national discussion on infrastructure while bringing the nation’s best public transportation practices back to our region.” 

Ald. George Cardenas (12), Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30) and Ald. Felix Cardona (31) joined Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez and former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez at an event to “oppose school board proposals that exclude non-citizen participation,” according to a news release.

Ald. Raymond Lopez (15) tweeted about a redevelopment project for a design studio and visual art spaces, writing "a great project gets the green light from the Budget Committee! Thank you to Mayor Emanuel for awarding this grant previously and to this administration on working with Bridgewater in securing the city’s first local hire reimbursement grant!" 

Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20) retweeted her endorsement of the recently formed Experimental Station Union in Woodlawn: “The Experimental Station does some great work in the community. I love what they do with young people. But do we do it at the cost of workers feeling intimidated and feeling like they’re not appreciated?”

Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25) tweeted a video of himself speaking at a rally for a $15 minimum wage for McDonalds' workers.

Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35) knocked Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a Twitter thread about the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance, writing "Mayor Lightfoot says she doesn't want meaningful civilian oversight or community control of police because "she wears the jacket" for public safety. This is a major departure from what she said while running for mayor."

Ald. Andre Vasquez (40) tweeted, "The Mayor, watering down and obstructing Police Oversight and Accountability yet again. Many thanks to @ChicagoOIG for speaking truth to power, especially when it’s needed." 

Ald. Michele Smith (43) promoted an event discussing the legislative landscape around abortion, writing “Are you worried about what happens if the Supreme Court overrules Roe v Wade? I am. Join this event tonight and learn more.”

Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) and Rep. Will Davis (D-Homewood) on Wednesday announced the formation of the Illinois Statehouse Taiwan Friendship Caucus. Speaking on the Senate floor, Aquino said the new caucus comes after Illinois established Taiwan as a “sister state” in 1992. Separately, Davis said on the House floor the caucus seeks to “continue to build relationships” with Taiwan. The newly formed caucus has bipartisan participation, with Sen. John Curran (R-Downers Grove) and Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) among those involved.

An earlier version of a story published on Wednesday about a Senate committee’s vote on ground-based sparklers incorrectly stated the committee's final action on the bill. The Daily Line regrets the error. 

Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) tweeted a video of herself talking about her concerns with the Illinois Parole Board. 

Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago) celebrated the passage of SB 139 in a tweet, writing "SB139 creates a unified standard across IL for couples to acquire updated marriage certificates free from gendered language. Today marks a step towards progress & equality in IL." 

Sen. Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) tweeted about her measure SB 633, which passed the Senate Wednesday. "To root out the cause of violence between students and work against it, we need to know what we’re dealing with," she wrote. stronger reporting requirements will help us understand the depth of the problem in our schools." 

Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) is publicly backing a $20.7 billion investment in roads and bridges funded by the Rebuild Illinois plan, per a press release. In a statement, the senator said he was "pleased to see that maintaining and improving our roads and bridges remains a priority through this new multi-year plan." 

Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) passed a measure establishing the Birth Center Licensing Act, which would make it easier to found a birth center in Illinois, out of the Senate Health Committee Wednesday.  “Lifting the licensure cap for birth centers will be an immense help for Illinoisans seeking a certified nurse midwife to help them bring their child into the world," Fine said in a press release. 

Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Chicago) tweeted a statement from the Legislative Latino Caucus on its "unconditional support" for a fully elected school board.