Remote committee hearings continued this week as we approach next Friday’s deadline for House bills to be advanced out of committee for floor action. We are scheduled to return to Springfield for session Tuesday-Friday to begin advancing bills on the floor while we complete initial committee work on bills. We continue to negotiate with stakeholders on amendments to bills we’ve introduced and expect to advance several more bills before next week’s deadline. Our legislative agenda covers a broad spectrum of issues from lakefront safety to criminal justice reform, HIV prevention, environmentally friendly burials, ethics, gender-based violence, and more.
As mentioned last week Governor Pritzker revealed his $45.4 billion budget plan. T he Governor outlined a budget proposal that demonstrates that Illinois is on the strongest financial footing we’ve had in decades. You can read the governor’s statement here. We will be negotiating a state budget based on his proposal while we continue to push our bills this session. I specifically will be fighting for more funding in the Domestic Violence space. An increase of only $400,000 to the grant-funded domestic violence service providers is only a drop in the bucket and doesn’t even begin to cover the increased costs and skyrocketing demand these providers have faced over the course of the pandemic. These services are provided 24 hours a day and all year-round. Just like we expect our police and firefighters to be always available many of our residents need to expect our domestic violence services to be readily available when they call the 24-hour hotline and the staff performing these services need the same rate increases being provided to other workers deemed essential during the pandemic.
If you’re interested in following our work, the committee schedule, meetings, and bill assignments are posted here.
Upcoming newsletters will continue to be updated on the session schedule and budget and feature both the bills we’re introducing as well as interesting bills being presented by colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
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Wild Onion Co-Op Signs Lease |
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After eight long years of community organizing, Wild Onion Market has signed a ten-year lease on a site at 7007 N. Clark St. in Chicago. The co-operative is preparing to build out and open its full-service, community-owned grocery store at Lunt Ave. & Clark St. in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
Ownership in the co-operative has doubled in the last two years, and last month it welcomed its 1,000th Owner. “I’m thrilled to see all of our hard work coming to fruition,” said Mary Meyer, Wild Onion Market Founder, and Board Member.
A Capital Campaign to fund the new store will run from March 6 to May 22, 2022, in order to raise all the funds needed to open the store. Construction is set to begin this spring.
Opening day is projected to be in the last weeks of 2022 or early in 2023. Wild Onion Market will be a co-operative market focused on local and sustainable food, serving Rogers Park, West Ridge, and Evanston.
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Pritzker To End Mask Mandate For Most Public Areas By February 28th |
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This past Wednesday Governor Pritzker announced that he will lift the indoor mask mandate for most pubic areas by February 28th. Governor Pritzker will push to keep face coverings on in schools for at least a few weeks beyond that February deadline.
This lifting of the mask mandate means essentially Illinois residents can go barefaced in grocery stores, restaurants, theaters, and most other places. Illinois residents, however, will still have to wear masks in congregate facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and places where large areas of vulnerable residents reside as well as in places where federal masking rules remain in effect like mass transit.
Local officials can mandate mask-wearing if they want to. Cook County and Chicago are expected to follow the state's lead.
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COVID-19 cases continue to rapidly decline in Illinois. COVID-19 patients in hospitals continue to decline per day. As of Wednesday night, the state was averaging 2,380 COVID-19 hospitalized patients as compared to the records set during this surge when we were averaging more than 7,300 hospitalizations. As shown in the graph above from IDPH's website hospitalizations have dropped even further. As of this week, the state's positivity rate has hovered around 4.9%.
Boosters have recently been shown to offer significant protection against the effects of the Omicron variant. Please continue protecting yourself and limiting the spread as much as possible. There is talk of a new sub-variant called stealth omicron. Health officials are monitoring this new potential sub-variant and as we learn more from the CDC and IDPH we will keep you updated.
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To find a vaccine clinic within the City of Chicago click here.
For questions or info regarding COVID-19 testing click here.
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COVID-19 Count as of Friday, February 11th:
Statewide Totals: 2,987,502 confirmed cases, 31,795 deaths and tests performed 52,553,574
If you have questions related to COVID-19 you can contact the
Illinois Department of Public Health:
Hotline: 800-889-3931
Email: dph.sick@illinois.gov
City of Chicago's Department of Public Health:
Hotline: 312-746-4835
Email: coronavirus@chicago.gov
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The Biden Administration Distributes Rapid At-Home COVID Tests |
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Americans are now able to order their tests online at COVIDTests.gov, and tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering. Every household is eligible to order 4 tests.
To ensure equity and access for all Americans, the Administration will also launch a call line to help those unable to access the website to place orders, and work with national and local community-based organizations to support the nation’s hardest-hit and highest-risk communities in requesting tests.
Individuals with private health insurance coverage or covered by a group health plan who purchase an over-the-counter COVID-19 test authorized, cleared, or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be able to have those test costs covered by their plan or insurance. Insurance companies and health plans are required to cover 8 free over-the-counter at-home tests per covered individual per month. That means a family of four, all on the same plan, would be able to get up to 32 of these tests covered by their health plan per month. There is no limit on the number of tests, including at-home tests, that are covered if ordered or administered by a health care provider following an individualized clinical assessment, including for those who may need them due to underlying medical conditions.
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The Illinois Department of Public Health is proud to be partnering with the Rockefeller Foundation to offer free COVID-19 tests to households in identified priority zip codes across the state. Eligibility is based on zip codes with the highest risk of Covid-19, using the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) combined with state data on Covid-19 burden.
The website is live. Constituents living in eligible zip codes can go to www.AccessCovidTests.org to order a free test kit.
- Each household will receive 1 kit with five tests within one to two weeks after ordering.
- No payment information is required — both the tests and shipping are free to eligible residents.
- The program is currently limited to one order per residential address.
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IDES has released this statement in regards to the 1099-G tax forms. For a FAQs sheet from the IDES on all your questions related to the 1099-G form, click here. For an information packet on how to navigate your ILogin account, click here. |
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Trilogy's New Mobile Crisis Response Service |
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The Restore, Reinvest, & Renew Grant Program Re-Opened |
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Governor JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton recently
announced $45 million in Restore, Reinvest, and Renew (R3) program funding to support community organizations that serve neighborhoods most impacted by economic disinvestment, violence, and the war on drugs. Organizations interested in applying for funding can review the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by clicking here.
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Energy Assistance For Winter Applications Open Until May 31st 2022 |
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The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Citizens Utility Board are reminding residents to apply for $200 million remaining in utility assistance under Gov. JB Pritzker’s Help Illinois Families initiative, an expansion of the Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program under the American Rescue Plan.
This initiative remains available for all qualifying households with low income, regardless of how they may be affected COVID-19. The last day to apply online with the Request for Services form is April 15. After that date you can still apply through your local administering agency through May 31, 2022.
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LIHWAP Applications Open Until August 31st, 2023 |
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The LIHWAP benefit is a limited, one-time, assistance program designed to help households that are facing the threat of imminent disconnection, have already been disconnected or have past due (arrearage) balances over $250 for their water and wastewater services combined. Customers may apply one time for water and one time for wastewater for the life of the program, which is December 1, 2021 – August 31, 2023.
Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2023 or until funds run out. You can apply online here or call the hotline at 1-(833)-711-0374.
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Citizen Class with Chinese Mutual Aid of Chicago |
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2021 Exemptions Auto-Renewal |
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In response to COVID-19, the Cook County Assessor’s Office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities, and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions; the Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year.
If a homeowner received any of the aforementioned five exemptions last year (tax year 2020), they do not need to reapply this year (tax year 2021). If the Assessor's Office requires additional information from a homeowner to process the auto-renewal, they will be sent a booklet in March 2022 with instructions on how to reapply.
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Become a Local School Council Member |
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Jarvis Square Artisan Market |
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The 25th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival is still being served up HOT & FRESH! Next week marks the first of their LIVE events: a workshop led by 2nd Story on Wednesday, Feb. 2! Check out more details by REGISTERING TODAY on the Fillet website by clicking here!
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Rogers Park Community Profile and Visitors Guide |
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When: All month of February
Where: Rogers Park (Howard to Devon, Ridge to the Lake)
This winter season put your money where your heart is!
You can participate in weekly drawings throughout the month of February to win gift cards from local businesses. Support our local independently-owned business community by shopping small during this winter season.
Participants can win weekly gift card prizes for local businesses with a grand prize of $1,000 at the end of the month.
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Chicago Upholstery & Drapery is Hiring |
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Laborer / Workshop Assistant
Chicago Upholstery shop has immediate openings for PT General Laborers wanting to learn a trade or for those individuals just wanting a PT job. Ideal candidates must:
- Be prompt to work;
- Able to work with little supervision;
- Able to lift 75 Lbs;
- Accept that sometimes getting dirty goes with the job;
- Multitask when needed;
- Work well with others;
- Fast-paced candidates with knowledge of tools are a plus.
These PT positions can lead to FT for qualified and interested candidates. These positions require individuals lift furniture, remove fabric as needed, stain/polish wood as requested, clean as you go, clean shop/empty garbage and/or any other tasks requested. This is a workshop environment.
Seamstress / Tailor
Seeking experienced Sewing Operator to sew upholstery goods. Box cushions, pillows, drapes, etc. Must have:
- Hands-on experience
- Must be production paced
- Maintain clean workspace
- Proficient candidates will be asked to complete a 30 min technical as part of the interview.
This is a workshop environment.
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Misericordia is home to over 600 children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities at its 31-acre campus. They provide around-the-clock care to support residents and are looking to hire hardworking individuals to join its team in several key positions. The positions offer competitive pay rates and excellent employee benefits. For more information, see Misericordia's Careers website.
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Getir Chicago is seeking to hire delivery drivers and order packers for its locations throughout Chicago. For more information, see careers website. |
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Collective Resource Compost is Hiring |
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Collective Resource Compost is a specialty waste hauler that collects food scraps for composting, working out of their site in Skokie. They are looking to hire Drivers and Compost Service Specialists, starting at $16 per hour and raising up to $17 after a 90-day review. They're looking for reliable, hard-working, tech-capable, and committed individuals who are passionate about reducing environmental harm.
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S&C Electric is hiring team members in the Rogers Park community. To learn more and apply, visit their careers page. |
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Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare is one of the leading community mental health organizations in Illinois, committed to excellence, diversity, and opportunity. For more information on current job openings, visit their careers page. |
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Heartland Alliance is Hiring |
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Heartland Alliance has several positions open across Chicago. These positions include a bilingual mental health clinical practitioner, a clinical supervisor, an LPN, case managers, and more. For more information on job openings, visit their careers page .
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Kokua is Hiring Substitute Teachers |
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Sincerely,
Kelly Cassidy
State Representative, 14th District
Office of State Representative Kelly Cassidy
5533 N Broadway
Chicago IL 60640
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773-784-2002(phone)
773-784-2060(fax)
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