* OK, kids, I have been struggling with multiple issues all morning and I am just done for a while. My keyboard isn’t working right, my computer is struggling, my Internet is out, I have a car repair issue that I need to attend to ASAP, and I have an HVAC service person on his way.
That’s the news and I am outta here. Be nice to each other.
Today State Representative Dan Brady is announcing his Campaign for Illinois Secretary of State with three stops across the state of Illinois—Chicago, Bloomington and Mt. Vernon. Highlighting his track record of cutting through government red tape, and working tirelessly for businesses, educational institutions, and individuals, all in the name of getting positive results. Brady unveiled his platform that is centered around creating a Secretary of State office that accelerates growth and helps us reach our full potential.
“I am running for Secretary of State to build the long-needed foundation our state needs to thrive. I will focus on partnering with the brightest innovators and technology experts this state has to offer, addressing not only service efficiency, but issues of cyber-security and identity protection,” said Brady. “The Secretary of State office serves as the backbone for our state, without it our economy and government would not function. But simply functioning shouldn’t be good enough.”
As State Representative since 2001, Brady has constantly worked across the aisle to pass legislation that has a positive impact on communities across the state. He has helped pass legislation that provided funding for infrastructure projects, schools, and included tax incentives that helped incentivized companies to invest in Illinois.
Brady also recently sponsored a law that provides older adults in Illinois better access to driver training programs and most recently he sponsored the Reimaging Electric Vehicle Act, which aims to increase investment into electric vehicles across the state and increase jobs and the growth of Illinois’ economy.
“When I looked back at everything I witnessed during my last three decades in public office to identify what, if anything, was holding our state back from achieving its biggest goals, I realized what Illinois needs most is a streamlined, modernized foundation.”
Endorsements for State Rep. Dan Brady
U.S. Representative Rodney Davis
U.S. Representative Darrin LaHood
U.S. Representative Mike Bost
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
Illinois State Senator Terri Bryant
* Video…
* GOP Rep. Caulkins will run in Brady’s district. A Hardee’s launch is a new one on me…
Republican state Rep. Seth Lewis is running for the Illinois Senate’s 24th District seat. Lewis currently represents the 45th House District. “I love being the voice in Springfield for the communities that I currently represent,” Lewis said in a statement. “After the implementation of the new legislative maps, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to continue serving our region on a greater scale by running for the state Senate. My goal as an elected official remains to make Illinois a place where people want to live, not to leave.”
* Press release…
Today, eight elected officials, including five members of the Chicago City Council, endorsed Alderman Gil Villegas for Congress in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District of Illinois. Villegas announced his candidacy with the support of Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and earned the support earlier this week of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Iris Martinez and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado.
Ald. and Committeeman Felix Cardona (31st Ward), Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano, Committeewoman Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez (26th Ward), and Former State Rep. John D’Amico (D-15th District) released the following joint statement::
“We’re thrilled to join the growing movement supporting Gilbert Villegas for Congress. He is ready to lead at a moment when working families need Congress to focus on what’s most important to them” said these officials in a joint statement. “Gil is a dedicated public servant with the experience, drive, and compassion necessary to hit the ground running on behalf of Illinois,” they concluded.
Villegas responded to the news of this endorsement with gratitude.
“I could not be more honored than to earn the trust and support of so many important leaders in our community. I’ll work every day to make them proud to be among this campaign’s first supporters and will never stop fighting for working families,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas.
President Joe Biden signed the historic $1 trillion infrastructure bill into law Monday, passing to Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Lori Lightfoot — at the White House for the ceremony — the massive job of spending the billions in new money flowing to the city and state in the next five years. […]
In terms of timing, Pritzker, in a Sun-Times interview, said “We won’t see those dollars until the first quarter of the calendar year. So sometime in January, February, March.”
Illinois is in “an unusually good position” to move ahead with projects, Pritzker said, because the federal money will piggyback on the $45 billion ReBuild Illinois program the Illinois General Assembly approved in 2019.
“This money will help us accelerate some of those projects that are in our multiyear plan,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker cited as examples the road and bridge project on a 16-mile stretch of I -80 “in very bad shape” in Will County and the I-190 turnoff to get in and out of O’Hare. He said he backed rebuilding parts of the Eisenhower in Chicago and nearby suburbs.
Federal money for transit is available now, thanks to President Joe Biden’s massive infrastructure plan and COVID-relief dollars. The RTA already is divvying up $1.5 billion among CTA, Metra and Pace.
Funds will go first to overdue maintenance and replacement of aged rolling stock, as they should. But billions more are available—the infrastructure bill authorizes $66 billion for passenger rail and $39 billion for public transit generally. We’d have to compete for the money, which in any case isn’t enough to fund all of our transit needs. But there’s enough to finance some projects that would improve service and demonstrate possibilities.
“It’s going to allow us to take a better look at our system and how we can better inject cash into a system that probably underserves those who need it the most,” [General Manager of MetroLink, Jeff Nelson] said.
According to Nelson, MetroLink hopes to receive funding which will help it continue to convert its mostly diesel fleet, in to an electric one.
It’s not just more electric buses, but officials hope the plan will allow better electric vehicle infrastructure. Since I-74 and I-80 run through the area, both Bustos and Nelson mentioned cities will be able to invest in charging ports in their public parking lots.
* And speaking of electric vehicles, here’s more from Crain’s on yesterday’s electric vehicle incentives bill signing event…
The move is aimed not only at wooing manufacturers and suppliers—Samsung has been eyeing a possible battery factory across the road from electric truck-maker Rivian’s plant in Normal—but also at keeping existing producers happy. That includes Rivian and Stellantis, which reportedly may shift production of Dodge Challenger and Charger muscle cars to Belvidere in 2024, and Ford, whose plant on Chicago’s South Side now produces only gasoline-fueled vehicles.
Much of the state’s attention lately has been focused on wooing a battery plant, which could employ several thousand people. Though the buzz about Samsung has died down, industry sources report that at least two other battery-makers are in serious conversations with Rivian about building a plant in Illinois, with an announcement possible later this year or in the first quarter of 2022.
Illinois is not considered a likely location for the second assembly plant that Rivian has indicated it wants to build, with the Atlanta area bidding for the facility. But some here are still pursuing that facility, too.
In comments at Pritzker’s event, James Chen, vice president of public policy at Rivian, sounded optimistic. “This bill will propel Illinois…bringing increased electric vehicle production and investment,” he said. The state and company now “will work together to attract new investment.”
Advocacy organizations across the state have received an “unprecedented” number of reports of bullying, harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ students, a coalition of groups said at a virtual news conference Tuesday.
“LGBTQ students must be treated with dignity and respect and must be supported and loved so that they can show up authentically as they are at schools, where they can be safe and learn and thrive,” said Mony Ruiz-Velasco, deputy director of Equality Illinois, which hosted the meeting. “This is not acceptable.”
Groups across the state are working together to hold schools accountable, offer training resources and make sure no LGBTQ students “fall through any cracks,” Ruiz-Velasco said.
Name calling, destruction of property and assault are just some of the incidents reported recently to LGBTQ support organizations. Though anti-harassment provisions have existed in schools for decades, advocates attribute the increase at least partly due to the pandemic, said Grecia Magdaleno, policy and advocacy manager with the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.
Students took the time to “look inward,” resulting in more coming out — and then a backlash.
The group of LGBTQ advocacy groups around the state that reported the rise in harassment toward LGBTQ students on Tuesday said the climate is difficult for LGBTQ students this fall. They say harassment is coming from staff or fellow students. It’s also happening at the local level at school board meetings like in Downers Grove.
Grecia Magdaleno of Illinois Safe Schools Alliance says some students may have become more vocal about their identities since returning to in-person learning, which may result in an increase in discrimination.
“But there are many other factors for it as well,” Magdaleno said. “I think it’s because of the rise in anti-trans legislation that we’ve been seeing across the country.”
In 2019, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed a law that requires public schools to include LGBTQ history in the curriculum. Magdaleno is helping to build that curriculum. They say the most common push back toward LGBTQ affirming material is that it isn’t age appropriate. Magdaleno says the curriculum is designed to reach students at the appropriate time in their development.
Josiah Poynter felt like an outsider when he transferred to Downers Grove North High School as a sophomore.
But his fellow football players filled the gap — providing a warm welcome and strong support. Poynter, who identifies as heterosexual and a Christian, cited that experience Monday night, when he told an audience of more than 100 at a Community High School District 99 board meeting that he strongly supports keeping the controversial LGBTQ graphic memoir “Gender Queer” on the shelves of the district’s high school libraries.
“Inclusion matters to young people,” said Poynter, 18. “Inclusion brings an opportunity to grow in a safe environment. It brings comfort to people who feel cast out.”
The local controversy over “Gender Queer,” which has drawn criticism at schools across the country, spilled into full view at the board meeting, with opponents characterizing images of oral sex and a sex toy as “pornographic,” and saying the book should be removed from library shelves. Supporters say that the book — about growing up asexual and nonbinary — sends a strong message of support and inclusion to LGBTQ teens at a vulnerable time.
About a dozen people spoke — among them students, parents and a former teacher. Most called on the district to keep the book on library shelves, while three speakers called for the book to be removed.
Members of the Proud Boys — a far-right neo-fascist group which has recently latched onto school board protests around the country — promoted the meeting on a messaging app commonly used by far-right activists and urged each other to attend, according to screenshots posted to social media. It’s unclear whether any members of the group showed up.
The school board did not plan to discuss or vote on any items regarding “Gender Queer” — the book was solely brought up during the public speaker portion of the meeting. Supt. Hank Thiele, addressing the topic before people shared their views, said “Gender Queer” met the district’s requirements for inclusion in its library, and it was not part of any class’ required reading. Only one copy of the book is available for check-out at each library at Downers North and Downers South high schools, which combined serve nearly 5,000 students. […]
Tabitha Irvin, a junior at Downers North, said she felt it was “ironic” that people wearing American flag masks, hats and shirts were at the meeting calling for a book to be banned when, in her view, the issue was about free speech.
Linda Schranz, a longtime Downers Grove resident who said her daughter graduated from District 99, said “despite the noise in the community” she believes it’s a small minority who disagree with the board’s policies.
