IC-SS Weekly News: February 19, 2024
Illinois Primary: Voting in Chicago
Chicagoans will be able to vote by mail or early-vote in the Illinois primary well before our official Election Day, March 19th. However, after early-voting began last week at two downtown locations, the Chicago Board of Elections announced a temporary pause.
Early voting has been paused because voting machines must be updated after a local judicial candidate was removed from the ballot by an appellate court. Watch the Chicago Board of Elections website for updates on early voting, voting by mail, and voting on election day.
Bring Chicago Home – Let’s Get It Passed!
When we go to the polls for the March primary, we’ll be voting in the Bring Chicago Home (BCH) referendum. Let’s all vote YES.
On your ballot, you won’t see the words “Bring Chicago Home”; instead look for Ballot Question 1, which asks if you want to support affordable housing and supportive services, to be funded by adjusting the one-time Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT) so most people will pay less, while buyers of properties over $1million will pay more.
Deep Dive on BCH with Emma Tai – Recording
Didn’t get to the Hideout last week? No worries – get a deep dive on Bring Chicago Home by viewing the recording of Bring Chicago Home Director Emma Tai in conversation with Tom Moss of the Blue Beginning chapter of Indivisible Chicago.
Emma Tai gives you a clear and comprehensive description of the Bring Chicago Home referendum, Question 1 on your March 19 ballot. Watch here.
Emma Tai, the former head of United Working Families, the organization behind the successful campaigns of Brandon Johnson and Delia Ramirez, among others, is now is the director of Bring Chicago Home. Watch Emma Tai on BCH.
Other resources: See the Bring Chicago Home Coalition resource webpage and Indivisible Chicago Alliance’s BCH fact sheet.
Act: Tell Voters About Bring Chicago Home
In the coming weeks, step up and inform Chicago voters about the important Bring Chicago Home referendum (Ballot Question 1). Get on Zoom in the comfort of your home and phone Chicago voters together. Knock doors in or near your neighborhood and talk face to face with voters. Either way, you get friendly training and support – both veterans & newbies are welcome!
Phone voters every Sunday, 4:00 pm – Indivisible Chicago Alliance in partnership with Bring Chicago Home: get info/sign up
Phone voters every Tuesday/Thursday, 5:30 pm – Bring Chicago Home Coalition: get info/sign up
Canvass on Saturdays & Sundays: Knock doors with Bring Chicago Home – find a convenient date and neighborhood: get info/sign up
Meet Kina Collins Tomorrow – Tues 2/20
Our sister organization, Indivisible Downtown Chicago (IDC), has endorsed Democrat Kina Collins for Congress, running against 7th District incumbent Danny Davis in the March primary. Tomorrow, IDC is hosting Kina Collins, and you’re invited!
Join IDC at Necessary and Sufficient Coffee in Printers Row (728 S Dearborn St.) tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb 20th, for their regular monthly meeting with special guest, 7th Congressional District candidate Kina Collins! Doors open at 6:30 pm, and meeting begins at 7:00 pm. RSVP here.
State’s Attorney Candidates Forum – Watch!
In the March 19 primary, you’ll find two candidates on the Democratic ballot for Cook County State’s Attorney, to replace retiring S.A, Kim Foxx. Last week, the League of Women Voters of Chicago, in cooperation with LWV of Cook County, Univision, and ABC7, hosted a debate with the Democratic candidates Clayton Harris III and Eileen O’Neill Burke. Watch the debate here.
- Clayton Harris IIIis a former prosecutor and state government staff manager who lectures on state and local government policy, including policing, at UChicago/Harris School of Public Policy. He is endorsed by Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Delia Ramirez, State Sen. Robert Peters, State Rep Kim Buckner, Ald. Lamont Robinson, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Democrats, Sierra Club, SEIU IL Council, CTU, People’s Lobby, and other elected officials and organizations.
- Eileen O’Neill Burke is a former prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge. She is endorsed by Chicago Tribune, Ald Pat Dowell, Ald. Scott Waguespack, Ald Chris Taliaferro, Automobile Mechanics Local 701, Cook County Farm Bureau PAC, and other elected officials and organizations.
Read about both candidates at Ballotpedia. See also this article by WBEZ, detailing how Eileen O’Neill Burke prosecuted a 10-year-old Black child for murder in 1994, with a conviction that was eventually overturned.
Michigan Mondays – Phonebank Today & Feb 26
From Indivisible Chicago: In 2024, the path to the White House again runs through our backyard. Michigan and Wisconsin are both rated as toss-up states and their combined 25 electoral votes are almost 1/3 of the total for the country’s most competitive states that will determine who wins in November.
Our friends at Statewide Indivisible Michigan (SWIM) are looking at likely Democratic voters who live where Michigan’s most competitive races will occur — SWIM asks us to help get these likely Dems registered.
Come join us as we make calls starting TODAY Monday February 19 and next Monday, February 26, from 3:00-5:00pm CT. It’s fun to do this as a group! We’ll meet on Zoom to get the training we need to help get the folks we’re calling registered. At the end of the session, we’ll return to the Zoom room for a debrief and to share stories.
Here’s the link to sign up – remember that the times listed on the sign-up page are Eastern time, so one hour ahead of Chicago time — the correct starting time for us is 3:00pm Central Time.
US Organized Labor: Webinar Tonight, Feb 19
From Indivisible Illinois: Join Indivisible Illinois on Monday, February 19, at 7:30 pm CST for a panel of three top Illinois labor union leaders who will explain how the building trade unions have had a profound effect on helping make the American Dream a reality for so many. They’ll also discuss the effect unions have on getting union-friendly legislation passed. Register here.
The panel includes: Mark Guethle – Illinois AFL-CIO 11th Congressional District COPE Chair; Jarrett Clem – Business Manager for IBEW Local 601 and Vice President of the East Central Illinois Construction and Building Trades; Jim Dixon – Retired President Springfield and Central Illinois Trades & Labor Council. Learn how we can collaborate with unions to help pass legislation by coming to our online meeting! Register here.
IC-SS Voting Membership – Voting Results
During the 2024 voting membership drive for Indivisible Chicago-South Side last month, 35 people renewed their membership or joined as new voting members. Thank you and welcome to all!
From February 9th-16th, 23 voting members submitted online secret ballots, voting unanimously to (1) establish a committee to revise and amend the bylaws, and (2) support the current leadership remaining in their positions until elections can be held under provisions of the revised bylaws.
At our February 7th voting member meeting attended by 16 voting members, there was consensus to form the bylaws committee in November after the U.S. general election, with the intent of beginning the work in January 2025. Our goal is to have bylaws that best support the organization that IC-SS is today.
NOTE: While only voting members can vote in matters of IC-SS group governance and endorsements of political candidates, anyone is welcome to participate in our political information events or activism. Please join us to promote democracy and work for a government that protects our rights and freedoms!
Organizations & Opportunities
Swing Left Chicago 2024 Kickoff: This Wed 2/21
From Swing Left Chicago: 2024 will be a critical election for defending democracy and defeating MAGA extremism. We must re-elect Biden-Harris, defend our narrow Democratic Senate majority, win back the House, and build state power for Democrats—the only way to strengthen our democracy and make progress on the issues we care about.
Join Swing Left Chicago in a virtual event to learn about our group’s plan for 2024, meet other volunteers, and get to know Swing Left’s overall strategy. We’ll share opportunities for how you can take action, now and throughout the year, to have a real impact on the elections that determine the balance of power in our country.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 21, 7:00-8:00 pm CT
REGISTER :Info/Sign-up
Bring Chicago Home House Party: Thurs. Feb. 29
From community member Anne Holcomb: On Thursday, Feb 29th at 6:00 pm, join your South Side neighbors at a Bring Chicago Home in-person house party in South Shore! (RSVP by emailing aaholcomb85@gmail.com to obtain the address.)
Help raise funds to support the campaign for Bring Chicago Home, and learn about how you can help pass the initiative to create housing in Chicago to help people experiencing homelessness, all while enjoying an evening with friends. This event is vegan- and carnivore-friendly, and children are welcome.
To support the campaign for Bring Chicago Home, come to the House Party and make a donation that’s comfortable for you – even if that is just a promise to vote YES on the ballot referendum on March 19th! Hosted by Anne Holcomb, Allan J. Lindrup, and K.T. O’Loughlin, RSVP by emailing aaholcomb85@gmail.com to obtain the address.
Volunteer with New Arrivals – Teach ESL
Community member Maureen Graves has been organizing multi-faceted efforts to assist new neighbors – recent arrivals from Venezuela who are living on the South Side. In partnership with two local churches, Ms. Graves has set up an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for Spanish-speaking adults who need to learn English. She is seeking volunteers to help out.
Ms. Graves writes: Volunteers are needed for intensive, beginning English instruction for migrants, primarily from Venezuela. There are afternoon and early evening opportunities.
- Afternoon classes for adults meet each weekday (M-F) from 12:00 to 2:00 pm at Woodlawn Baptist Church at 6207 S. University Ave.; classes will be on break the week of February 19.
- Early-evening classes for adults will start soon and are expected to meet each weeknight (M-F) from 5:00-6:30 pm at Manantial De Vida church at 6005 S. Marshfield.
About the adult ESL volunteer teaching:
- Classes combine a structured curriculum (Direct Instruction Spoken English) with vocabulary practice and dialogues on topics of interest (e.g. work-related vocabulary, talking about Chicago, etc.)
- Lesson planning is not required, though if volunteers want to create additional materials, that’s great.
- Although I am seeking volunteers to cover M-F classes, there may also be opportunities to work one on one with adult learners.
- Transportation is available to and from either location.
- You don’t need to speak Spanish in order to volunteer.
Working with children and teens: At these same two locations, children often accompany their parents. Many children could benefit from tutoring in spoken English and in reading. Younger children would benefit from simply playing with an adult or older teen speaking English. I have materials for volunteers to use in these efforts.
CONTACT: I welcome any questions about volunteering – and I welcome volunteers!
- Please contact me at maureenrgraves@gmail.com.