Kelly's Update

Last week was another humdinger in the Capitol, with lots of folks present for various advocacy days while members scrambled around the campus to get bills advanced out of committee in time for the Friday committee deadline. As we head back to Springfield for session Tuesday through Friday this week, we’ll start to see more focus on floor action as we approach the 3rd reading deadline on May 23rd. We are scheduled to adjourn on May 31st, and our Budgeteers have been hard at work trying to craft a budget that will allow us to address looming federal funding threats as best we can. We’ve been warned to be prepared to come back during the summer as we get a better sense of what to expect from the federal government.

It was very special to get to spend time in the Capitol with friends from all over the state who were in town to participate in Equality Illinois’ annual Advocacy Day. I was happy to stand with attendees and colleagues in the rotunda of the Capitol for a rally getting participants ready to lobby their legislators in support of measures protecting the LGBTQ+ community.

Rep. Cassidy speaking at Equality Illinois' Advocacy Day rally

When the House gaveled in at noon, we very quickly turned to HR221, a resolution honoring Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated annually on March 31. It’s not unusual for resolutions recognizing a specific day to get called after the actual date since floor schedules can be unpredictable. It was extra special to present the resolution while advocacy day attendees were able to watch from the Speaker’s Gallery. HR221 celebrates many of our state’s transgender leaders, beginning with Albert Cashier who served in the Illinois 95th regiment in the Civil War, touching on our many elected leaders all over the state, and citing contributions in the arts, business, sports, and community organizing sectors from transgender leaders.

Watch Rep. Cassidy introduce HR221 on the House floor

The resolution passed with 71 votes in support and 37 against. The Republicans requested a recorded, rather than a voice vote, to be sure to make clear that they are not in support of our transgender neighbors living authentically and safely. Here’s the recorded vote so you can see how other members voted, including folks who skipped the vote altogether. 

Advocates in the gallery for the HR221 vote

Results of the votes for HR221

Rep. Cassidy with Channyn Lynne Parker, CEO of Brave Space Alliance

In addition to HR221, Rep. Cassidy was also the Chief House Sponsor for SJR24, a resolution to make May 7th Illinois Bacon Day, which was unanimously recommended to be adopted in the Agriculture & Conservation Committee. Illinois pig farmers produce over six billion slices of bacon per year and Illinois pork production is ranked 4th in the U.S.

Above is a festive photo of Rep. Cassidy introducing the Resolution on the House floor on Illinois Bacon Day!

Rep. Cassidy and Rep. Swanson, an actual hog farmer!

I was excited to get home for a couple of days, especially since I got to spend Sunday with all three of the boys. Josh and I went to 14th district gem Gethsemane Garden Center celebrating a somewhat new tradition of planting a salsa garden together while Daniel worked on midterms and Ethan made his way home for the summer. I got to spend the day playing in the dirt and then making a big mess of skirt steak on the grill. Having all of my boys together is just about my favorite thing in the world and gave me a nice boost as we head into the home stretch of session.

I’ve still got a couple of amendments to negotiate, but I’m in pretty good shape as we shift to floor action this week. Senate bills that I will be advancing soon include:

• SB108 which will make permanent a successful pilot program to allow judges to waive assessment fees in Cook County criminal and traffic courts for those who are unable to pay. The law does not allow for waivers of fines associated with charges or restitution, but for court cost assessments which are often much more than the fine associated with the charge and can prevent an indigent person from completing the terms of their case.
• SB175 which will require insurance coverage for appropriate diagnostic testing for Klinefelter Syndrome. This bill was brought to Sen. Fine and I by a constituent whose husband was recently diagnosed as part of their fertility journey but could not get coverage for the appropriate testing.
• SB1173 seeks to simplify the process by which people experiencing homelessness can access State ID cards. Currently, a person seeking a fee waiver for a state ID must produce a notarized Secretary of State Department of Driver Services Homeless Status Certification form. While many service providers addressing homelessness have notaries on staff, some individuals are forced to seek notary services on their own at costs of $10-20. The bill will prohibit fees for notarizing the certification form.
• SB1602 is the rewrite of the Sexual Assault Survivors Emergency Treatment Act (SASETA) that seeks to center survivors’ needs throughout the process while providing clear guidance to health care providers and law enforcement on the processes involved in accessing care after a sexual assault. It also contemplates the staffing challenges smaller hospitals face to meet the needs of survivors and allows hospitals to enter into transfer agreements with better equipped hospitals, within certain guidelines. While I’ve been working on this issue for some time, I became more deeply involved in this rewrite while advocating for a woman who was initially told she was too big to have been raped and then told she had to travel 70 miles without assistance only to learn too late that there was an appropriately equipped and staffed hospital only 15 minutes away that had been requesting to be designated as the facility that patients would be directed to. Central to my work on this bill is language that will prioritize transferring patients to the closest available facility, regardless of network affiliation. We are finalizing language on a couple of items this week and will be amending it before final floor action.
• SB1884 will allow the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) to accept equivalent experience in lieu of a college degree for positions not requiring professional licensing.
• SB2500 represents a follow up or trailer bill for the Community Emergency Supportive Services Act (CESSA) that will provide for mental health first responders to 911 calls. This bill has had a long implementation process that reflects the complexity and diversity of our state’s emergency response systems and our desire to ensure that the program will work seamlessly wherever you are in the state.

Finally, please join me in wishing happy trails to Carlos Barragan, our Constituent Advocate. Carlos has been with us in many roles over the years and while we will miss his steady approach to challenging problems, his dry wit, and his caring approach to the work, we’re excited for him as he begins a new adventure in the education arena. Thank you to Carlos for all you’ve done to make our community better. We’re in the final rounds of interviews for our new team member, so watch for an announcement soon!

Need to Know Info

Our office wishes a bittersweet farewell to our Constituent Advocate, Carlos! This will be his last week with our office before he moves on to new endeavors.

Carlos started off as an intern here at our office and then returned as our part-time Constituent Advocate after receiving his Bachelor's in Urban Studies & Planning from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He will now be off to pursue a Master's of Teaching at the University of Virginia.

We wish Carlos the very best and are excited to see where this new adventure takes him!

The application for our Constituent Advocate role is now closed! We are currently working through resumes and interviewing candidates and will not be accepting any further submissions.

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted and for your enthusiasm about the role. We will reach out soon, if we have not already.

Don’t waste time in line today! The Illinois Secretary of State will issue REAL IDs after May 7th! May 7th is not a deadline. They will continue issuing REAL IDs forever!

Before visiting a DMV for a REAL ID, Illinoisans should make sure they need one. Individuals who have a valid passport, global entry card, permanent resident card or military identification and those under the age of 18 will not need a REAL ID to fly domestically on a commercial aircraft or visit certain federal facilities, such as a military base or federal courthouse, as of May 7.

Additionally, REAL IDs are not mandatory for driving a vehicle or required for valid identification or proof of citizenship. Illinoisans will still be able to apply for a REAL ID after May 7 and non-REAL ID identification – driver’s licenses and state IDs – will remain valid until the printed expiration date. 

Individuals applying for a REAL ID must do so in-person at an Illinois DMV and are required to present:

1. A U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, Naturalization Certificate, Report of Birth Abroad or a Certificate of Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. citizen, an employment authorization document, a permanent resident card or a foreign passport with an approved I-94 form is also acceptable. If you've changed your name, you'll need to provide name change documents.
2. Proof of a full Social Security number (SSN). Examples include: a Social Security card, a W-2 or a pay stub with your full SSN.
3. Two current residency documents that list your full name. Examples include: a utility bill, rental agreement, deed/title or a bank statement.
4. Proof of your signature. Examples include: a signed credit or debit card, canceled check, or current state driver’s license or state ID.

Illinois residents are encouraged to use the office's interactive checklist to make sure they have the documents they need before heading to a DMV. Please visit realid.ilsos.gov for more information.

Click photo above for full presentation

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) presented proposed plans for pedestrian safety improvements at Wayne and Ridge at a community meeting this past week. Plans include installing a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon-the first of its kind in Chicago! For a demonstration of how the Hybrid Beacon works, watch the short video here. You can also access CDOT's full presentation, linked above.

Deconstruction of Campion Hall will begin in mid-June following a preparatory phase that starts May 12th. The project marks one of the early milestones in the Campus Plan and the University Strategic Plan—both of which emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary learning and advancing Loyola’s presence in health and sciences. 

Plans are being developed for a new center for nursing and science–serving as a home for the four-year undergraduate program of the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing–and will include specialty research and teaching spaces designed to create high-impact learning experiences in a pre-professional setting.

Summer is almost here! Now is a great time to lock in dates to use the Museum Pass. Remember that the Museum Pass is good for general admission to any of the museums in Chicago for up to 4 adults! Sign up for the pass on our website and have a great time seeing the amazing museums Chicago has to offer!

Northside Community Resources & The Northside Community Development Corporation are hosting their 13th Annual Northside Housing Fair, which is being held on Saturday, June 14, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Truman College (Cafeteria), located at 1145 W. Wilson Avenue in Chicago. Doors will open for onsite registration at 9:30 a.m., for attendees who have not preregistered.

Learn about home-buying processes, financing solutions, fair housing practices, and many other housing resources and services available to the public. In addition, this event will feature mini-workshops on topics such as Credit & Home-buying 101 and Tenants' Rights & Fair Housing. Each year, this event has resulted in countless people achieving homeownership, securing and maintaining rental housing, and even avoiding foreclosure.

This is a free event!

To learn more, click HERE!

Neighborhood Shoutout

The 48th Ward Older Adults Resource Fair will be held on Wednesday, May 14 from 11AM–2PM at the Broadway Armory! Local organizations will be sharing information, services, and support for older adults in our community. Free and open to all! Our office will also have a table at the event and can offer resources and answer any State-related questions you may have.

Fundraisers and Surveys

The Howard & Evanston Community Center is conducting a community needs assessment. They want to hear from you about the most important issues in our

community. After finishing the survey, you can enter a raffle for a $25 Gift Card!

A few things about the survey:

• The survey is short - it should only take you about ten minutes to fill out.

• The survey is anonymous. They will only ask for your name if you want to

be entered in the raffle for a gift card. Your name will not be connected to your responses

The Howard & Evanston Community Center will use information from this survey to improve its services.

Access the survey by clicking HERE!

The Edgewater Yard and Sidewalk Sale returns on Saturday, June 7 from 9AM-5PM! With over 200 participating households and businesses from Foster to Devon and Clark to Sheridan, shoppers can hunt for one-of-a-kind treasures all day long. This beloved neighborhood tradition brings the community together while supporting a great cause—proceeds benefit Care for Real. More info here!

Enjoy an evening with neighbors as they raise money for the Rogers Park Free Store. $5 per game. Bring cash. Free snacks will be available.

Saturday May 17th

7:00pm-10:00pm

6900 N Glenwood Ave

District Events

The 20th District Council is hosting their monthly public meeting on Monday, May 12th from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Swedish Hospital Andersonville Pavilion (2751 W Winona). To learn more about this event, click HERE!

The Andersonville Farmers Market is back this week at a brand new location at 1500 W Winona! The market will be there every Wednesday from May 14th through October 22nd from 3pm to 7pm featuring over 40 local vendors!

To learn more about the market and to see all participating vendors, click HERE!

Vivent Health + TPAN invites you to their Community Celebration, and they’d be honored to see you there. This gathering is a chance to connect, reflect, and celebrate the opening of their new health center—a bold step forward in HIV care for Chicago. Light refreshments and live music will be provided as they give guided tours of their expanded clinic. Whether you’ve partnered with them for years or recently joined their journey, they’d be thrilled to celebrate with you!

Please email lorraine.hayes@viventhealth.org to RSVP for this free event.

Visit the Greenleaf Art Center on Saturday, May 17th for their Spring Exhibition and Open Studio between 5 and 9 pm! The event will feature new works from artists in residence, tours of the Greenleaf Art Center studio spaces, and the opportunity to meet the artists behind the featured works!

More information about the center can be found by clicking HERE!

Paper & Pencil, your friendly neighborhood stationery shop, turns TWO on Saturday, May 17th, and you’re invited to the party! Join them as they celebrate two years of Paper & Pencil in Andersonville.

The first 25 customers of the day will receive FREE gift bags filled with stationery goodies. They’ll be passing out FREE gifts with purchase all day long, and they’ll be releasing exciting new Paper & Pencil merch including their NEW shopfront sticker and postcard, a re-release of their highly sought after baseball caps, new exclusive collabs, and more!

Saturday, May 17th

1480 W Berwyn Ave

The World Music Foundation is hosting a FREE event at the WMF Listening Room (1066 W Granville) called "Jalimusa: An Epic Tale of Black Women's Mothering" on Sunday, May 18th at 3 pm. This presentation will be a combination of performance and lecture on chapters of Dr. Amira Davis' book on Black women's mothering. She will perform songs related to Black women's mothering and read excerpts from her book. All ages and nationalities are welcomed!

To learn more about this event and to register for it, click HERE!

The Edgewater Glen Association is hosting the Edgewater Glen Historic District Block Party on May 31st from 1 to 5 pm on the 1400 Block of West Glenlake! This is an important block party to attend as it is celebrating the neighborhood's newfound status as a historic district! There will even be a sign unveiling ceremony at 1 pm. The event is free of charge and will feature a food truck serving hot dogs. hamburgers, and more!

The Chicago Mosaic School is hosting its annual Mosaic Fest on Saturday, June 1 from 11 am to 6 pm at 1127 W Granville! This event is a perfect way to experience all that The Chicago Mosaic School has to offer while connecting with your community. Try your hand at creating a variety of mosaic projects, listen to live music, and meet your neighbors, all while enjoying food and beverages.

To learn more about this event and to purchase tickets, click HERE!

Chicago’s ONLY Monday farmers market is returning for the 2025 season.  Produced by Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, Edgewater Monday Market will take place every Monday from 3pm to 7pm at the southeast corner of Broadway & Thorndale, in the Broadway Armory parking lot (approx. 5917 N. Broadway).

The market runs from June 2nd to September 29th and will feature 45+ vendors over the course of the season, including a mix of weekly vendors, and rotating pop-up vendors. Featured vendors include a curated selection of local farmers, produce, specialty foods, bakers, prepared foods, craft goods, and artisans. This year’s market will also include various activities, musicians, and a chef’s table for demonstrations and samples on select dates

You can see a list of vendors here.

The Jarvis Square Artisan Market is back! Set your calendar for the next upcoming one on June 14th, always from 10 am to 2 pm. Discover local talent and handmade treasures there, where creativity and community come together. From handcrafted goods and art to unique gifts and gourmet treats, there’s something special for everyone.

To learn more about this ongoing event, click HERE!

Theatre

The Terror Cottas are hosting a new production titled The Ostrich at the Burger Park Cultural Center from May 2nd through May 17th.

Play Description:

Orville and Wilbur Wright, the Wright Brothers, have arrived in present-day Ostrich, Indiana, to build an airstrip. The people are overjoyed! Can technological progress finally get Ostrich off the ground?

Join them for this site-specific dark comedy inside the historic North Mansion at Berger Park, where the rooms of the first floor will be transformed into a tacky bed and breakfast called The Ostrich Feather, and other auspicious locales.

All performance times are 7pm. Preview is Thursday, May 1. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with one performance on Monday, May 12. This show is 90 minutes with no intermission.

Tickets are extremely limited.

Please Note: Their performance space is only accessible up five stairs. Audiences will be moving from room to room. For the majority of the play, there are chairs for the audience to sit in, with some standing options. There are two short scenes in which the audience will stand - each scene lasts about 6 minutes. The audience will be accompanied by at least one guide through the show who can assist during the performance.

To purchase tickets for this event, click HERE!

Curious Theatre Branch is proud to present the world premiere of The Infinity Play, written by Paul William Brennan and directed by Brennan and Maya Odim, April 25 – May 18, at Jarvis Square Theatre, 1439 W. Jarvis Ave.

In ten interconnecting scenes of different times, places and proportions, a pair of players take turns to clean up the mess the preceding players made, but end up making a bigger mess for the players after them. 

The performance schedule is Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 5 p.m. The running time is 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets for The Infinity Play are on sale at CuriousTheatreBranch.com. Tickets are priced on a “pay what you can” scale, with a suggested price of $20. 

Raven Theatre's Season 42 ends with a stunning world premiere, GORGEOUS by Keiko Green! This funny, complicated, and one-of-a-kind production- directed by Kirsten Fitzgerald- is a hilarious and charming show you do not want to miss.

Jenny has a simple life; she takes care of the elderly and shows dogs professionally. When her just-a-little-bit-older boyfriend Bill dies suddenly, all Jenny wants is to get rid of his stuff and continue to show his champion Bulldog, GORGEOUS. Enter Bernie, a tornado of a woman. Amid the boxes of things that made up Bill’s life, Jenny and Bernie must find a way forward for themselves and the dog.

Gorgeous runs May 1-June 7th, at Raven Theatre

6157 N Clark St

You can get tickets here.

Now in its 36th year, the Rhinoceros Theater Festival returns to Chicago from September 4 until September 28, providing production and exhibition opportunities for local and national artists alike. Submissions for the festival will be open from May 1st-22nd.

This year, they are calling for work that in some way advances or responds to the idea of resistance, in whatever meaning that has for each artist. In times when prospects are cast grim, our imaginations are called upon to resist the gloom and doom, to resist cruel indifference, by populating our stages and our imaginations with gatherings and our persistent constructive presence. This year, of all years, the Rhinofest encourages affordable DIY production within our nest of venues and community and support for works of the imagination in resistance and in performance.

Performances will be held at Facility Theatre in Humboldt Park, Jarvis Square Theatre in Rogers Park, and Labyrinth Club in Avondale

For more information about the festival and how to apply go to their website.

The Spot on Theatre company will be showing a new play called "The Cuckoo Clock" from May 1st to May 31st at the Berger Park Coach House (6205 N Sheridan Rd).

Play Description from the Theatre's website:

When a young girl moves in with her seemingly ancient Aunts, she discovers a magical house in Victorian England where the charming cuckoo clock comes to life and reveals a world of enchantment and adventure. Travel along with our heroine as she learns ever so much about kindness, friendship, and the sustaining power of love. Who knew that growing up and being at home could be such fun. 

​For children, families, adults, and all those young at heart! This performance is best suited for children 8 and above. The show will run for about 2 hours, including a ten minute intermission.  

To purchase tickets and to learn about show times, click HERE!

Youth & Teen

Summer is almost here! Make sure your kids have a wild time - register them for Lifeline's summer drama camp! We'll build magical worlds as creatures and bugs of the forest, construct creative characters, imagine new worlds, and go on theatrical adventures!

Did you know that all of Lifeline Theatre's productions begin as books? Summer campers have the opportunity to follow Lifeline's unique model and create short plays. Brigade campers (6-10 year olds) will adapt the books Du Iz Tak? and The Perfect Plan, while Theatre Intensive campers (10-13 year olds) will collaborate as an ensemble and use the book Ten Word Tiny Tales to Inspire and Unsettle as a creative jumping off point for their original play. All campers will share their original pieces on the Lifeline stage on their final day of camp! 

Chicago nonprofit After School Matters (ASM) is now accepting Chicago teens for their Summer programs running June 23 - August 1. Teens ages 14-18 can choose from hundreds of programs in the arts, communications and leadership, sports, and STEM, to discover their passions and develop new skills for life beyond high school.

This Summer: 

• Chicago teens ages 14 & 15 can choose from programs offering stipends for participation. 
• Chicago teens ages 16+ can choose from Internship programs, which will provide an hourly wage of $16.60/hour. 

Applications are now open and can be found here.

For more information about ASM and how you can support Chicago teens, visit: www.afterschoolmatters.org

Are you looking to explore something new for your child in 2025? Karate has many benefits such as increased focus, balance, agility, coordination, flexibility, emotional regulation, standing up for yourself/others and conflict resolution are just a few of the mental and physical benefits of karate classes. 

The Karate Beginners Special includes two months of classes (up to 3x/week) *and* uniform for only $250. Monthly payment option available as well. Schedule a FREE TRIAL CLASS to get started. Admission is rolling, but space is limited.

Classes are always LGBTQIA+ affirming and neurodivergent-friendly. Culture of Safety is a queer owned business. As always, classes are body-positive, trans-affirming, trauma-aware, and neurodivergent-friendly!

You can sign up here.

Job Openings

The Waterfront Café is now hiring for the summer season. Waterfront Café is a hidden sanctuary in the heart of Berger Park and diagonally adjacent to the Berger Park Cultural Center. They offer a variety of summer salads, sausages and seafood rolls, along with beer, wine, and tropical beverages. Enjoy the cool summer breezes on their lakefront garden patio, surrounded by stunning lake and city skyline views.

You can visit their website to apply and schedule an interview.

If you are searching for a job, consider visiting the American Job Center at Truman College! You can receive career coaching, assistance with building your resume, and many other useful services! They are hosting an orientation event on May 20th at the center (1145 W Wilson) which you can register for by clicking HERE! To learn more about the center, click HERE!

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office is now accepting applications for its third-annual summer job program!

Approximately 150 positions are available for college, trade school, graduate school students, law students, or graduating high school students who are enrolled in college or trade school in the fall.

Available positions include working in Secretary of State offices in Chicago, surrounding suburbs, Springfield and downstate facility locations. Under the program, college and trade school students earn $17 per hour and specific contractual intern positions for graduate and law school students earn $25 per hour. Job offerings include working in one of the 25 departments in the Secretary of State’s office or at a DMV.

Interested applicants can apply at www.ilsos.gov/summerjobs and must submit a resume, application, and cover letter explaining their interest in working at the Secretary of State’s office. Please reach out to publicengagement@ilsos.gov with any questions.

If you are looking for new career opportunities, consider the MWRD. Visit their online employment center to apply and learn more about the job and the selection process.

The Department of Children and Family Services is hosting a job fair on Thursday, May 15th, from 10 am to 2 pm at The Smith Park Fieldhouse (2526 W Grand)! The event is free to attend and will feature numerous recruiters and hiring managers who are hiring for full-time, part-time, and internship positions. Opportunities to take professional headshots are also available. This is a great opportunity to network with other job seekers!

To register for this event, click HERE! 

Sincerely,

Kelly Cassidy

State Representative, 14th District



Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy

1507 W. Morse Ave

Chicago IL 60626