Citizen Bulletin: Pritzker's First Day & Other News in Chicago Politics
January 14-20, 2019
The Citizen Bulletin’s news highlights from this week include: JB Pritzker was sworn in as Governor this week. US Representative Bobby Rush called for the censure of Representative Steve King for his racist remarks. Senator Durbin, along with democratic leadership, appear poised to reject President Trump’s proposal to trade Border wall funding for a DACA extension.
Chicago City Government
Alderman Leslie Hairston (5th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 324-5555
[No News*]
Alderman Willie Cochran (20th Ward) ~ call your alderman! (773) 955-5610
[No News*]
Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300
Jan 15 -- Released statement applauding US District Judge’s ruling against the Trump Administration's effort to include citizenship as a question on the 2020 census
Cook County Board
President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400
Jan 15 -- Stated that if elected she will progressively raise minimum wage in the City of Chicago to $15 an hour, leaving room for further increases if necessary
Illinois State Government
Representative Curtis Tarver (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep!
[No News*]
Senator Robert Peters (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator!
[No News*]
Governor JB Pritzker (D–IL) ~ call your governor!
Jan 14 -- Sworn into office as Illinois governor, announced that he would prioritize legalizing marijuana, raising the hourly minimum wage to $15, and instituting a progressive income tax structure
Jan 15 -- Signed two executive orders on his first day in office,; the first calling for more transparency in state agencies, and the second preventing agencies from asking female job candidates for past salary history
Jan 17 -- Signed a bill establishing licensing requirements for state gun dealers, triggering the threat of a lawsuit from the Illinois State Rifle Association
Jan 19 -- Ordered an audit of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ AffairsIllinois’s Veteran’s Affairs Department after a new case of Legionnaires’ disease was discovered at the Manteno Vveterans’ Hhome
Jan 19 -- Mandated union-friendly project-labor agreements be used for state-financed construction projects, restored experience-based wage increases for state workers (Republicans claim this could cost the state $1.5 billion), and ordered expedited resolution of wage-theft complaints
US Federal Government
Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400
Jan 16 -- Called for the censure of Representative Steve King for his racist remarks, casting the lone “no” vote on a resolution to rebuke his remarks without censure
Jan 17 -- Introduced a bill to end out-of-pocket charges for insulin for Medicare and Medicaid patients
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506
Jan 17 -- Voted against S.109, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which failed to pass; the bill would have prohibited federal funding for abortions and abortion-related medical care
Jan 18 -- Called for an investigation into the EPA’s failure to inspect facilities that were releasing carcinogenic emissions
Jan 19 -- Joined Senator Durbin in pressuring President Trump to fund the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that affordable housing programs have access to rental assistance contracts
Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952
Jan 17 -- Introduced, along with other Senate Democrats, a bill to raise the Federal Minimum Wage to $15 per hour by 2024
Jan 18 -- Pressured President Trump to fund the Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure that affordable housing programs have access to rental assistance contracts
Jan 19 -- Stated that he will not support President Trump’s proposal to extend DACA and temporary protected status for immigrants in exchange for Congress funding the border wall with Mexico
President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your president! (202) 456-1414
Jan 19 -- Offered Democrats a deal to end what is now the longest federal shutdown in US history, demanding $5 billion of funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border in exchange for deferring deportation for one1 million immigrants for three years; Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-MD) rejected the deal
The Citizen Bulletin is a product of the University of Chicago Democracy Initiative (UCDI). UCDI is proudly supported by Andrew Goodman Foundation’s nonpartisan Vote Everywhere project. In addition to the UCDI website, you can find past versions of the bulletin here. For news closer to campus, subscribe to the twice weekly newsletter produced by our partners at the Chicago Maroon.
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