* Progressive state Sen. Lakesia Collins (D-Chicago) calls for the resignation of Chicago Ald. Ramirez-Rosa as Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Floor Leader…

I am disheartened and profoundly disappointed by the actions that took place on November 2nd at city council, led by Floor Leader Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, against Councilwoman Emma Mitts.

Alderman Ramirez-Rosa physically obstructed Alderwoman Mitts and other council members from entering the chamber to carry out their duties as elected representatives on behalf of their constituents.

This repeated behavior by Alderman Ramirez-Rosa in city council is unacceptable and requires immediate action. No one should be prevented from fulfilling their elected responsibilities on behalf of their constituents. No one should endure disrespect, threats, or have to live in fear of intimidation or retaliation while simply doing their job.

True leadership involves uniting others with transparency and finding common ground, even in the face of disagreements. Those in positions of leadership should not misuse or abuse their power.

Furthermore, no woman should ever be made to feel uncomfortable due to a colleague’s abuse of power, regardless of their position or title.

Alderman Ramirez-Rosa must be held accountable for his actions. This behavior calls for his resignation as Floor Leader. I hope this matter is resolved immediately.

I’ve asked the alderperson for a response.

…Adding… Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus…

The bullying by Floor Leader Ramirez-Rosa to Chairwoman Emma Mitts, City Council’s current longest-serving woman, was unprofessional and unbecoming of his role. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa’s actions of physical and verbal harassment have let down our council and the people of Chicago. In our roles, we must uphold the values of respect and collaboration.

It is disheartening that we find ourselves in this situation, and we hope that all City Council members focus their efforts on solving this issue and maintain mutual respect for each other.

Additionally, this matter is an unfortunate and direct reminder of the decades of challenges that African-American women serving in City Council have had to overcome in our combined efforts to enhance the upward mobility of our collective communities.

Chairwoman Mitts is a pillar of strength, courage, and inspiration to many black women who aspire to become responsible and effective government leaders. We strongly condemn this blatant mistreatment and disrespect towards Alderwoman Mitts and demand a full apology from Alderman Ramirez-Rosa.

Our caucus put forth the following recommendations to create a more inclusive and respectful environment for all members.

1. Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa resign as Floor Leader and Chairman of the Committee on Zoning, Landmarks, and Building Standards
2. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa must publicly acknowledge what he did, apologize to Chairwoman Mitts, and commit to better his behavior as a member of this body
3. Alderman Ramirez-Rosa must take steps to remedy his actions with Chairwoman Mitts and other city council members

* It’s good to be the king…

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (7th) held his annual Senior and Veterans Resource Fair at Proviso Math and Science Academy, 8601 W. Roosevelt Rd. in Forest Park, on Oct. 28.

The Fair drew a crowd of several hundred and featured dozens of vendors and free resources like COVID-19 vaccinations and flu shots, but the biggest development to come out of this year’s event was a visit from Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who talked about the expanded driver’s license services his office implemented last month to accommodate senior citizens. […]

Last month, Giannoulias’ office implemented a “Skip-the-Line” program for senior citizens at DMV facilities, increased the number of available appointments at Chicago area DMVs by over 40%, added a call center for seniors aged 70 and over who require a road exam, and opened two “senior-only” driver services locations inside SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview and the Evanston Civic Center. Seniors at those locations won’t need appointments.

“The plan is to build the next one somewhere in the 7th District,” Welch said on Saturday.

Leadership has its privileges, I suppose.

* This is what the governor gets for siding with the Illinois Policy Institute on the bill…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is more scared of the Chicago Teachers Union than voters.

He said he’d extend Illinois’ sole school choice program if a bill reached his desk – but now he’s flip-flopping.

This week he locked low-income students out of his Chicago office.

These kids are from families who rely on the Invest in Kids Act for an exit option from the CTU’s failed public school monopoly.

He’s not even pretending to care about them.

So we’re going to make sure the whole world knows what the Illinois Democratic Party, under his leadership, did to them.

We’re protesting the 2024 National Democratic Convention in Chicago.

We’re inviting all the students, families and community leaders he let down, so everyone watching knows him as the governor who killed school choice in Illinois.

Harumph.

* Staying with the IPI for a moment, this means nothing because the rest of the coalition pushing renewal has offered up a compromise plan. The train is moving on. All they’re doing is attempting to divert attention from the GOP’s split…

This follows a pledge from the Illinois Senate Republicans to support Invest in Kids.

There is now full Republican support of the bipartisan effort to protect school choice scholarships for 9,600 low-income students in Illinois. (2/2)

— Illinois Policy (@illinoispolicy) November 3, 2023

* I’ve seen more than a few statements like this. NRCC…

“By refusing to help Israel, Brad Schneider is perpetuating the growing antisemitism rotting the Democratic Party to the core. Israel has a right to defend itself and America has an obligation to stand alongside the Jewish people – but not according to Brad Schneider.” – NRCC Spokesman Mike Marinella

Schneider’s response…

Speaker Johnson's First Act:

1. Add $27 Billion to Debt
2. Condition Aid to Israel
3. Reward Tax Cheats

I cannot support the terribly flawed, weak and dangerous bill Speaker Johnson and the Republicans have on the floor today. pic.twitter.com/mAIbH6Ve2e

— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) November 2, 2023

* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…

* Crain’s | Illinois Institute of Technology is opening a life-sciences lab in Fulton Market: Illinois Tech, whose main campus is in Bronzeville, says it plans to house faculty, researchers and students in the Fulton Labs building. Although the small, private university is well known for engineering, computer science, and architecture and design, it also has biomedical and biological engineering expertise. For many years, its Bronzeville campus was one of the few places that startups could find lab space.

* WAND | State reports reveals number of pregnancy related deaths in Illinois: “A woman who is in rural areas, whether she is of color or not, might have to drive 30 minutes or longer to get to a healthcare provider or to get to a facility that can actually deliver her baby,” said Dr. Dona M. Perry, Medical Director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. “Access is a big problem and barrier to good healthcare and maternal outcomes.” The report also found that pregnancy-related deaths increased by 40% from 2015-2017 to 2018-2020. Discrimination was present in 40% of deaths among Black women.

* Crain’s | IDPH launches phone line for doctors to address babies born with syphilis: The Illinois Department of Public Health is urging health care providers to conduct more testing for the sexually transmitted infection in advance of birth. To help, IDPH has launched a phone line to provide clinical consultation to providers who treat pregnant patients and newborns. It is dubbed the Perinatal Syphilis Warmline, with a phone number of 800-439-4079.

* Daily Herald | The ‘right model for our community’: How DuPage health officials want to use opioid settlement money: With DuPage County set to receive a windfall from settlements of nationwide lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors, public health officials hope to use some of the money to help staff a crisis recovery center expected to be built next year.

* WTTW | Father of Alleged Highland Park Parade Gunman Heads to Trial on Charges He Recklessly Helped Son Obtain Firearms: Lake County prosecutors have alleged Crimo Jr. took a “reckless and unjustified risk” in December 2019 when he signed his son’s application for a FOID card. At the time, Crimo III was only 19 years old and could not legally obtain a FOID card or purchase a firearm without his father’s assistance. Highland Park police had two previous interactions with Crimo III in 2019. One occurred that April after he allegedly attempted suicide. Months later, in September, Crimo III allegedly threatened family members, saying he was “going to kill everyone,” according to prosecutors.

* Daily Herald | Judge: Accused Highland Park mass shooter’s interrogation video won’t be played at father’s trial: Initially, Crimo Jr.’s attorneys hoped to call their client’s son to the witness stand. But on Monday, the son’s attorneys said he would only assert his Fifth Amendment rights if called to testify.

* Sun-Times | A Chicago police officer was accused of sexual assault. The top cop pushed to keep him on the force.: The Civilian Office of Police Accountability found that the officer engaged in a series of nonconsensual sexual acts against the woman, who reported that he attacked her when she fell asleep at her home in Oak Lawn after they attended a banquet in March 2020.

* Crain’s | As winter looms, migrants’ lack of reliable shelter could become a public health crisis: Meanwhile, community groups are collecting donated winter clothing and supplies for migrants. But until people are moved off the streets and into real housing, their health and well-being are at heightened risk, providers say. “Sleeping under tents outside in the Chicago winter — it’s super dangerous,” says Dr. Alejandro Clavier, a pediatrician and site director at Esperanza Health Centers’ West Lawn location. “Lives will be at risk if people stay outside.”

* WMBD | Illinois Supreme Court ends Auditor Jessica Thomas’ battle with Peoria County: The legal saga by Peoria County Auditor Jessica Thomas came to a conclusion on Nov. 1 when she worked her last day as an elected official. Thomas, who had battled the county for more than a year, ran out of legal options in late September when the Illinois Supreme Court declined to hear her case after a lower court threw it out. … A trio of appellate court justices said Thomas had no “clearly ascertainable right to serve as county auditor because her ‘rights to the office ceased’ once the voters passed the referendum to eliminate the office.”

* Tribune | Vintage Chicago Tribune: 5 things that led to ‘Dewey Defeats Truman,’ the newspaper’s most famous headline: The headline isn’t the only problem with the page — it’s a typographical mess. Lines and type are askew. It’s a mishmash of type styles. And in the second paragraph of the lead story, five lines of type ran upside down.

* Chicago Mag | Is “Sweet Home Chicago” Actually About Chicago?: Robert Johnson probably had not visited Chicago when he recorded what became our city’s unofficial anthem in 1936. “Oh, baby, don’t you want to go,” the Mississippi blues legend croons, “back to the land of California, to my sweet home, Chicago.” Huh? Last time we checked, Chicago was not located in California. Perhaps to avoid geographic confusion, when Chicago-based pianist Roosevelt Sykes covered the song in 1955, he changed the lyric to “that bright light city, sweet old Chicago.” The Blues Brothers, of course, sang it differently: “back to that same old place, sweet home Chicago.”

* NYT | A Climate Change Success Story? Look at Hoboken.: Across the river, the same storm drowned several of New York City’s subway lines and forced Brooklyn residents to wade through thigh-deep water. But in Hoboken, the fire department only towed six cars, and by that evening there were just a few inches of standing water at three of 277 intersections. An arts and music festival, the city’s biggest cultural blowout and moneymaker, remained on course for the weekend. Television crews, returning to Hoboken early Saturday to film the usual aftermath, left empty-handed. The city’s flooding was no longer news.

* Belleville News-Democrat | US declares species once found in Illinois extinct. What does it mean for water quality?: The tubercled-blossom pearly mussel was native to Illinois, as well as seven other states across the nation. It was one of the first to be placed on the Endangered Species Act in 1976, but had not been seen for years prior to its recent delisting. “We haven’t seen it in Illinois or in the United States in quite a few decades,” Illinois Department of Natural Resources aquatic ecologist Brian Metzke told the News-Democrat recently.