I hope you are enjoying your summer and staying safe and healthy.
Ahead of November’s legislative veto session, House Speaker Welch formed working groups to prepare solutions to key issues facing our state. The four groups are the Firearm Safety and Reform Working Group, the Mental Health Working Group, the Reproductive Health and the Dobbs Decision Working Group, and the Social Media and Online Extremism Working Group.
I’m proud to have been selected to be a part of the Reproductive Health and the Dobbs Decision Working Group along with Rep. Kelly Cassidy, Rep. Dagmara Avelar, Rep. Lakeisha Collins, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, Rep. LaToya Greenwood, Rep. Greg Harris, Rep. Anna Moeller, and Rep. Ann Williams.
I look forward to identifying ways we can strengthen our laws around reproductive freedom and protect additional rights like marriage equality and access to contraceptives.
Monkeypox Update
Governor J.B. Pritzker recently declared Monkeypox (MPV) a public health emergency in Illinois. This declaration allows the Illinois Department of Public Health to access state and federal funds to address MPV across the state.
The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently received more than 15,000 MPV vaccines, which have been distributed to healthcare providers across the city. If you believe you are eligible to receive the vaccine, please reach out to your healthcare provider.
Visit Chi.gov/monkeypox for more information.
Gun Violence Prevention Town Hall
Thank you to everyone who attended our Gun Violence Prevention Town Hall. Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, G-PAC Founder Tom Vanden Berk, Illinois Moms Demand Action City Gun Violence Chapter Lead Maria Pike, and Chicago Survivors Director of Clinical Services JaShawn D. Hill and I had an informative discussion on what Illinois is doing at the state level to combat gun violence and keep our communities safe.
If you are interested in getting involved, learn more below and feel free to reach out to my office if you have any questions.
In the Community
Pike-Scott Visit
Illinois Farm Bureau members planned a visit to the 12th District as part of their Adopt-a-Legislator program. I showed them a few of the most famous Chicago destinations in the district, including the Lincoln Park Zoo and Wrigley Field.
IL Muslim Civic Coalition
The IL Muslim Civic Coalition hosted Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, Rep. Ann Williams, and I for an “Engage and Impact Tour” in and around the 12th District. We visited Kaathis, the Masjid al Roscoe, and the American Islamic College.
Summer Fun
We attended the Lincoln Central Association’s summer block party and the Taste of Lincoln Avenue this month. Thank you to everyone who came out to say hello!
CAPAG Crypto Panel
I spoke on the Chicago Area Public Affairs Group’s Cryptocurrency 101 panel along with Nadex CEO Travis McGhee and General Managing Partner for G2T3V LLC Howard Tullman to discuss necessary regulation at both the federal and state levels.
WH GVP Meeting
I had the opportunity to join Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins, Rep. Bob Morgan, Rep. Denyse Stoneback, Rep. Kam Buckner, and Rep. Maura Hirschauer for a gun violence prevention briefing hosted by the White House. We heard from legislators in other progressive states on legislation they’re introducing to keep their communities safe from gun violence.
Web3 Investor Day Panel
I participating in the Policy, Regulation and Institutional Adoption of Web3 panel along with Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Policy Analyst Nathan Dean and HXRO CEO Dan Gunsberg.
Upcoming Events
Northalsted Market Days
Northalsted Market Days is back! The festival will run on August 6th and 7th. There will be live music, food, activities, and a variety of vendors. Hope to see you there!
GCNA Park Clean up
Join the Chicago Parks Foundation and the Gold Coast Neighbors Association for the upcoming “Pitch in for the Parks” on August 20th from 9am – 11am at the southern end of Lincoln Park. The initiative brings together volunteers in the community to help keep one of Chicago’s most beloved parks clean. Sign up here!
Annual Summer Food Drive
We are participating in a Summer Food Drive to support Common Pantry! Common Pantry provides healthy food and other support to help those in poverty throughout the city. Stop by our office until August 15th at 3223 N Sheffield Ave to drop off food.
Community Updates
From August 5th to August 14th, Illinois will have a sales tax holiday on qualifying back-to-school items. Visit the article below for more information.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office announced that expiration dates for driver’s licenses, ID cards and learner’s permits are being extended until December 1, 2022.
The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) recently introduced the Private Sector Camera Initiative. The program will allow homeowners, condominiums, and businesses to link their private exterior cameras with OEMC and Homeland Security Directors to create additional points of contact during an emergency throughout Chicago.
The City of Chicago launched the Home and Business Protection Rebate Program to provide any Chicagoan, business owner, or anyone who leases/owns a vehicle registered within the city to receive reimbursement for security technology. The program will cover a portion of the cost of outdoor security cameras, one year of video cloud storage, outdoor motion sensor lighting, and vehicle GPS trackers.
PAWS Chicago Partnership
We have a new PAWS Chicago pal to introduce for August: Meet Hinley!
Hinley is a five-year-old Boxer/Shepherd mix. When he arrived at PAWS, he was 30 pounds underweight from an undiagnosed medical condition. Now he is fully recovered and ready to find his forever home.
He is well-behaved, smart, and eager to train. If you are interested in adopting Hinley (or any of his friends), check out PAWS Chicago for more information.
Small Business Shoutout
Every month we highlight one small business from our district. For August, we are thrilled to feature Pretty Cool, which just opened its new location in the 12th district!
“Pretty Cool Ice Cream is a small handmade ice cream company in Chicago, Illinois, founded by award-winning pastry chef Dana Cree, author of Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream, and celebrated hospitality hero Michael Ciapciak, founder of Bang Bang Pie and Biscuits.
Launched in 2018 in Logan Square, Pretty Cool Ice Cream specializes in frozen novelties, like your favorite treats from the ice cream truck, all hand-made by our talented team of skilled artisans with the best ingredients we can find. Each item is individually packaged and we work with local artists to create the art and design for each flavor for an overall look that is as diverse as our fair city.”
If you have a favorite store, restaurant, or other business in the district for future Small Business Shoutouts, let us know!
Have a wonderful rest of your summer!
