UCDI’s Citizen Bulletin: February 26–March 4                                                          

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Good morning. Early voting for the 2018 primary election for governor and other state and local offices begins March 5 and ends March 19. The closest early voting site to UChicago is the Bessie Coleman Library at 731 E 63rd St. (Located adjacent to the Cottage Grove Green Line CTA station). Beginning March 5, early voting sites are open Monday thru Saturday from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (closing time extended to 7 p.m. on March  12–16) and Sundays from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Check out UCDI’s 2018 primary election guide to learn how to vote and see who is on the Democratic ballot and Republican ballot.

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   

• Feb 26—Defended city animal shelters against claims that they were infringing on standards of humane treatment, arguing that the shelters face difficult conditions and limited resources

Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) ~ call your mayor! (312) 744-3300

• Feb 25—Proposed a plan to project art onto the façade of the Merchandise Mart, stating that it will “strengthen Chicago’s legacy of public art”
• Feb 26—Called on state lawmakers to pass stricter gun control legislation, including a bill named after slain Chicago police commander Paul Bauer
• Feb 28—Announced an $8.5 billion plan to expand O’Hare International Airport, including a new terminal and a 25 percent increase in the number of gates, which became controversial after allegations that it favors some airlines over others

COOK COUNTY BOARD

President Toni Preckwinkle ~ call your Cook County board president! (312) 603-6400

• Feb 26—Defended bond overhaul measures which resulted in the release of more nonviolent gun-offense inmates from the Cook County Jail, claiming these inmates do not pose a safety risk
• Mar 1—Announced results of an independent report on the Cook County Assessor’s Office, which claimed the assessment process serves to create a “wealth transfer from owners of lower-value homes to those of higher-value homes”
• Mar 5–20—On the ballot for the contested Democratic nomination for Cook County Board president, seeking reelection to her third term; see UCDI’s election guide for more

ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENT

Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D–District 25) ~ call your state rep! (773)-667-0550

• Feb 28—Released a draft proposal of the House task force on sexual harassment, which includes an option to anonymously report harassment allegations and expands regulations to campaign staff and political action committees
• Mar 5–20—Not running for reelection after representing Hyde Park as the majority leader of the IL State house for 39 years; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn about the crowded field of Democratic candidates on the ballot to fill her open seat

Senator Kwame Raoul (D–District 13) ~ call your state senator! (773) 363-1996

• Mar 1—Introduced legislation to create a Survivors’ Bill of Rights for victims of sexual assault, which would update Illinois regulations to federal standards
• Mar 1—Voted for a bill that would allow the Attorney General to bypass the Department of Labor when enforcing employment and wage laws; the bill now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature
• Mar 5–20—On the ballot for the hotly contested Democratic nomination for Illinois Attorney General; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn more about the state AG race

 Governor Bruce Rauner (R–IL) ~ call your governor! (312)-814-2121

• Feb 25—Issued a state of emergency declaration for Kankakee, Vermillion, and Iroquois counties following severe flooding this past week
• Feb 26—Listened to oral arguments in the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court case during a Washington D.C. trip; Rauner launched the Janus case in an attempt to limit the ability of public sector unions to mandate member dues
• Feb 28—Stated he would veto any bill to legalize marijuana, a proposal currently being considered in both the Senate and House
• Mar 1—Vetoed a bill proposed by Chicago Public Schools that would have curbed the authority of the Illinois State Charter School Commission, which previously reopened schools that were rejected or closed by CPS
• Mar 5–20—On the ballot for the contested Republican nomination for governor, seeking reelection to his second term; check out UCDI’s election guide to learn more about the governor’s race

U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Representative Bobby Rush (D–IL1) ~ call your representative! (773) 779-2400

• Feb 27—Voiced support for designing a comprehensive infrastructure plan, while claiming that the President’s version falls short
• Feb 27—Commented on the Janus v. AFSCME ongoing Supreme Court case, expressing support for the unions and concern about legal efforts to restrict collective bargaining
• March 5–20—On the ballot uncontested for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House District IL-1, a seat he has held since 1993.

Senator Tammy Duckworth (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 886-3506

•  Feb 28—Criticized a GOP-led bill that would repeal some of the accessibility protections put into place by the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Mar 1—Stated that she would not vote to “move forward” on the President’s infrastructure plan due to its insufficient commitment of federal funds

Senator Richard Durbin (D–IL) ~ call your senator! (312) 353-4952

• Feb 27—Called on Republicans in Congress to consider gun control legislation preventing mentally unstable people from owning guns, after meeting with Stoneman Douglas school shooting survivors
• Mar 1—Introduced free tuition legislation that would cover community colleges and two year programs at technical schools

President Donald Trump (R) ~ call your pr-sident! (202) 456-1414

• Mar 1—Announced that the U.S. would levy tariffs on imported steel and aluminum

• Mar 1—Announced that Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf’s actions are “under review” after she gave residents advanced warning that an ICE raid would be taking place
• Mar 1—Met with an NRA lobbyist, a day after discussing gun control at a meeting with congressmen

*Our research process involves searching for press releases from the election acted representatives, Google News stories, and any Twitter and Facebook posts. If no information is displayed in the Citizen Bulletin, then our research process turned up nothing new from this past week.

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.

To learn more about the UChicago Democracy Initiative, please visit ucdemocracy.weebly.com.

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