POLITICAL AFFAIRS

AFTER SECURING THEIR SUPER MAJORITY, HOUSE SPEAKER EMANUEL “CHRIS” WELCH AND HOUSE DEMOCRATS CLOSE WITH $1.7 MILLION

After an election year where House members saw the most contested races in history, Democrats for the Illinois House and re-elected House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch have closed strong with 14 newly elected members and $1.7 million total.

During the quarter, the Speaker’s caucus reported raising over $14 million. The House Democratic Caucus raised over $12 million. Speaker Welch’s total for the year was over $45 million. The result– the House’s historic supermajority and a unanimous demand for a second term of leadership for Speaker Welch.

“We raised funds, we worked together, and we really dug into the fight for the people of Illinois,” said Speaker Welch. “I am extremely thankful to each of our supporters and every single member of our caucus. We are bringing the most Democrats to the legislature in modern history to fight for working families in all 118 districts from Chicago to Cairo, from Winnetka to Washington Park, and from Westchester to Savanna. I am thankful to our caucus for trusting me to continue to lead us forward. Now we have to get to Springfield and continue doing the work of the people.”

CHATHAM-SOUTHEAST

Chatham, Avalon Park, Park Manor,GreaterGrand Crossing, Burnside,Chesterfield, West Chersterfield, South Shore,and Calumet Heitghts.

SOUTH END

Washington Heights,Roseland,Rosemoor, Englewood,West Englewood, Auburn-Gresham, Morgan Park, Maple Park, Mt. Vernon, Fernwood, Bellevue, Beverly, Pullman, West Pullman, West Pullman,Riverdale, Jeffrey Manor and Hegewisch.

SOUTH SUBURBAN

Serves communities in Harvey, Markham, Phoenix, Robbins, Dixmoor, Calumet Park, Blue Island,SouthHolland,and Dolton. Shopping- their favorite pastime!

HYDE PARK

Lake Meadows, Oakland, Prairie Shores,Douglas, Grand Boulevard, Kenwood, Woodland,South Shore and Hyde Park.

CHICAGO WEEKEND

Chicago Westside Communities, Austin and Garfield Park

SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

BloomTownship, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor,FordHeights, Glenwood, Homewood, Lansing ,Lynwood, Olympia Fileds, Park Forest,Sauk Village,South Chicago and Steger

“We are thrilled to welcome this year’s residents to our community. Through their practice, these artists are committed to exploring issues related to justice, representation, care, and knowledge-sharing and production –all values that are deeply woven into the Art Center’s mission. We embrace the opportunity to support their research, make space for reflection, and grow together in a community,” says Mariela Acuna, Art Center Exhibitions and Residency Manager.

The seven artists in the 2023 cohort of the Jackman Goldwasser Residency program are:

Radicle Studio Residency, YearLong Residency for Chicago Artists

Radicle Studio Residents are rooted for a year at the Art Center through high-quality, free studio space where artists make work, research new projects, have access to the Art Center’s broad international network of artists and resources, and connect with a dynamic public. The 2023 Radicle

Residents will be in residency from Jan. 16-Dec. 15, and include:

Sofía Fernández Díaz

For more information on The Jackman Goldwasser Residency, including the application process for the 2024 residency program, please visit www. hydeparkart.org.

The Jackman Goldwasser Residency receives generous support from: Abakanowicz Arts and Culture Charitable Foundation Research and Production Fund, Artist Communities Alliance, CEC Artslink, The David C. & Sarajean Ruttenberg Art Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and The Joyce Foundation.

With 14 newly elected members of the Illinois House, Democrats are the most diverse in their representation of the people. In addition to re-electing the first African-American Speaker of the House, the general assembly welcomed the first Vietnamese American, two of the first Muslim Americans, and the first Korean American to serve and represent downstate. The diversity of heritage, race, gender, age, and ideology further solidifies the House Dems as the caucus that looks like Illinois.

HUNTER SUPPORTS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE, ACCESS TO ABORTION

Following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, State Senator Mattie Hunter proudly voted to protect abortion rights in Illinois through a measure that passed out of the Senate Wednesday.

“Abortion is a health care issue, and a medical service that could potentially save someone’s life, especially in regards to combatting maternal mortality,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “There are so many reasons abortions are needed, none of which is the government’s business. What is the government’s business, is protecting the right to have one.”

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found that under a nationwide total abortion ban, there could be a 24% increase in expected maternal deaths nationwide, with Black women projected to see a 39% increase.

If signed, House Bill 4664 will enshrine legal access to abortion care in the state of Illinois and provide protections for health care professionals from restrictive laws from other states. Illinois could become a safe haven for those who need abortion within the state, and in surrounding states in the Midwest.

Eric

Perez Kushala Vora Rhonda Wheatley Visiting Residency, Seasonal Res-

Hyde Park Art Center, at 5020 South Cornell Avenue on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, is a hub for contemporary arts in Chicago, serving as a gathering and production space for artists and the broader community to cultivate ideas, impact social change, and connect with new networks. Since its inception in 1939, Hyde Park Art Center has grown from a small collective of artists to establishing a strong legacy of innovative development and emerging as a unique Chicago arts institution with social impact. The Art Center functions as an amplifier for today and tomorrow’s creative voices, providing the space to cultivate and create new work and connections.

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Hunter has championed various health care issues over her two decades in the senate, including measures to reduce maternal mortality.

“Everyone deserves the right to choose what they do with their own body,” said Hunter (D-Chicago). “I voted to ensure that here in Illinois, that right will remain for anyone who needs access to an abortion.”

House Bill 4664 awaits the governor’s signature.