Comm. Bridget Degnen (D-12), left, is pictured during a December 2022 meeting of the Cook County Board of Commissioners. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

The county government could soon expand the paid parental leave it offers most of its non-union employees if a new proposal is approved by the board of commissioners next month. 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Comm. Bridget Degnen (D-12) sponsored the proposal, which was introduced by resolution at Thursday’s board of commissioners meeting and referred to the Finance Committee.

The City Council Committee on Budget and Government Operations will meet at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. And a report from the Officer of Inspector General found members of the Chicago Police Department remained on the job after making false reports.

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) holds a news conference in the Cook County building on his ordinance protecting people from discrimination for exercising bodily autonomy on May 24, 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

The Cook County Board of Commissioners approved two major pieces of legislation during its meeting Thursday — a ban on the retail sale, distribution and display of flavored liquid nicotine products and an ordinance extending discrimination protections related to reproductive health and gender-affirming care decisions.  

Both measures passed via unanimous voice votes with little discussion and no questions, though the flavored nicotine ban was the subject of much commissioner deliberation and some hesitancy before it was unanimously approved during a Wednesday Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee meeting.

The new City Council met for the first time Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Wednesday marked the first City Council meeting of the new term and several alderpersons didn’t waste any time submitting new legislation they hope to pass in the next four years.

Mayor Brandon Johnson presided over his first City Council meeting Wednesday. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Despite an initial attempt by an alderperson to delay a vote on the City Council’s committee assignments and chairmanships for the next four years, alderpersons on Wednesday approved the measure for the new committee organization. 

The 41-9 vote setting the committee assignments and their leaders occurred during the council’s first full meeting of the new term with Mayor Brandon Johnson presiding over council chambers. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson during a news conference Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Mayor Brandon Johnson while presiding over his first City Council meeting Wednesday introduced a proposal to increase the funding for three City Council committees and set funding for a new committee.  

Comm. Kevin Morrison (D-15) speaks during a county board meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Cook County committees moved a retail ban on flavored nicotine products closer to codification Wednesday and approved a measure to outlaw employment and housing discrimination related to people’s decisions about reproductive or gender-affirming care. 

The new City Council will meet for the first time in council chambers Wednesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

When the City Council meets for the first time this term Wednesday, not only will the excitement of the first meeting as alderman for 13 members fill the air, but the body will be asked to vote on a critical measure to close a $51 million funding gap for newly arrived migrants.

Activists and elected officials held a news conference at City Hall Tuesday. [Erin Hegarty/The Daily Line]

Community activists and aldermen are calling on Mayor Brandon Johnson to commit to expanding a community policing strategy that currently operates as a pilot program in select police districts to one that operates citywide.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle calls the May 23, 2023 meeting of the Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners to order. [Michael McDevitt/The Daily Line] 

The Board of Commissioners for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County approved two intergovernmental agreements Tuesday related to trail improvements and vacant site restoration and referred to committee several measures to increase fines and impose restitution costs for littering, pollution and illegal dumping. 

The board’s meetings were held at the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont instead of the usual meeting place on the fifth floor of the county building in downtown Chicago.

Comm. Maggie Trevor (D-9) speaks during a Cook County Board of Commissioners meeting in March 2023. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line]

Two Cook County Board committees will hold hearings Wednesday on proposals to ban the sale of flavored nicotine products and to outlaw discrimination based on decisions about reproductive and gender-affirming care. 

Meetings begin at 9 a.m. in the board chambers on the fifth floor of the county building in downtown Chicago. 

A woman runs on a trail in the Cook County Forest Preserves [File photo]

The Board of Commissioners of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County will convene Tuesday to consider code amendments that would raise the maximum fines for littering and polluting on forest preserve property. Commissioners will also consider intergovernmental agreements with the City of Park Ridge and the Cook County government. 

Commissioners will hold a slew of committee meetings followed by a regular meeting of the full board. Meetings will be held at the Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in Lemont instead of the usual meeting place on the fifth floor of the county building in downtown Chicago.

Members of the City Council were sworn in last week. [Don Vincent/The Daily Line] 

When the new City Council meets for its first full meeting Wednesday, aldermen are scheduled to vote on committee assignments and leadership and council rules for the next four years. But as of Friday, committee assignments had not yet been solidified. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced a new deputy role focused on implementing his progressive vision for public safety and the person to fill it. Cook County Health will soon launch a program that places behavioral care coordinators in public housing communities.

Concept art for the development of the area surrounding the future 130th St. Red Line station [Chicago DPD]

The Chicago Plan Commission held an in-person meeting for the first time in about three years Thursday and approved guiding plans for the South Side Red Line train extension and the 18th and Peoria Development. The plan commission also approved a proposal for mixed-use development to be built in the Fulton Market Innovation District. 

Meetings had been held virtually since about the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.