2024-03-29 13:23:25 2024-03-29 08:23:25

Press

Press inquiries contact Deana Rutherford at  deana@thepeopleslobbyusa.org.

Click here to view recent press coverage of work by The People’s Lobby and The People’s Lobby Education Institute.

Rideshare Drivers Call For Safety Regulations as Yet Another Driver Is Shot on the Job

Drivers organized in the Chicago Gig Alliance say their ordinance will protect driver safety

Press advisory: TODAY, Thursday, January 4, 2024
Contact: Lori Simmons, 773-217-8291 or loriann@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

A rideshare driver was critically injured in an attempted carjacking in Chicago at 10:10pm last night. 

Chicago police said the 51-year-old driver was approached by three men after dropping off a passenger. The men took his phone and shot him in the chest when he refused to get out of his car. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

“There is an epidemic of driver assault in Chicago,” said Lori Simmons, Uber/Lyft driver and lead organizer of Chicago Gig Alliance. “There were at least two drivers shot and killed just last month that we know of. Drivers are out here losing their lives for less than minimum wage. This needs to stop.” 

A 2022 University of Illinois study found that, between gas, vehicle expenses, and Uber and Lyft’s increasing “take rate,” or the percentage these corporations take from each fare, the average Chicago driver makes less than minimum wage for their work. There is currently no cap on Uber and Lyft’s take rate.

Drivers united in Chicago Gig Alliance are working to pass the Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, also known as the Fair Share Ordinance, to correct these issues. 

“I love my job, but it’s hard to keep doing it when Uber and Lyft make it so clear that they don’t have our backs,” said Beto Casas, who has been driving since 2018. “The safety issues we’re facing are getting worse and worse. Our pay is getting worse and worse. We tried to work with the corporations to get them to address these problems, but it’s clear that the only way things are going to change is if we change the laws.” 

28 aldermen have signed onto the Fair Share Ordinance so far.

Background: Chicago is facing a safety, pay, and deactivation crisis

A 2021 University of Illinois study found that drivers make an average of $13 per hour in the Chicago area. 

Recent research from The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), the Chicago Gig Alliance, and The People’s Lobby found that 74 percent of Illinois drivers surveyed reported experiencing threats, harassment, or assaults in the last year, higher rates than nationally. 

Through this crisis, community members are joining in this fight, including 50+ public health practitioners in Illinois calling on Chicago’s Aldermen to protect drivers. 

The Chicago Rideshare Living Wage & Safety Ordinance, introduced by Alderman Mike Rodriguez, and backed by 28 Aldermen, would provide the drivers who move Chicagoans safely through the City new protections from unfair deactivation. The ordinance would also support drivers in earning predictable wages and make ridesharing platforms safer for drivers and riders. 

Chicago Gig Alliance has been organizing workers to win better pay and worker protections since 2019, and is a project of The People’s Lobby.

Rideshare Drivers Call for Safety Regulations as Yet Another Driver Is Shot on the Job

Press advisory: TODAY, Thursday, January 4, 2024

Contact: Lori Simmons, 773-217-8291 or loriann@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Drivers organized in the Chicago Gig Alliance say their ordinance will protect driver safety

A rideshare driver was critically injured in an attempted carjacking in Chicago at 10:10 p.m. last night. 

Chicago police said the 51-year-old driver was approached by three men after dropping off a passenger. The men took his phone and shot him in the chest when he refused to get out of his car. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

“There is an epidemic of driver assault in Chicago,” said Lori Simmons, Uber/Lyft driver and lead organizer of Chicago Gig Alliance. “There were at least two drivers shot and killed just last month that we know of. Drivers are out here losing their lives for less than minimum wage. This needs to stop.” 

A 2022 University of Illinois study found that, between gas, vehicle expenses, and Uber and Lyft’s increasing “take rate,” or the percentage these corporations take from each fare, the average Chicago driver makes less than minimum wage for their work. There is currently no cap on Uber and Lyft’s take rate.

Drivers united in Chicago Gig Alliance are working to pass the Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance, also known as the Fair Share Ordinance, to correct these issues. 

“I love my job, but it’s hard to keep doing it when Uber and Lyft make it so clear that they don’t have our backs,” said Beto Casas, who has been driving since 2018. “The safety issues we’re facing are getting worse and worse. Our pay is getting worse and worse. We tried to work with the corporations to get them to address these problems, but it’s clear that the only way things are going to change is if we change the laws.” 

28 aldermen have signed onto the Fair Share Ordinance so far.

Background:
Chicago is facing a safety, pay, and deactivation crisis

A 2021 University of Illinois study found that drivers make an average of $13 per hour in the Chicago area. 

Recent research from The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), the Chicago Gig Alliance, and The People’s Lobby found that 74 percent of Illinois drivers surveyed reported experiencing threats, harassment, or assaults in the last year, higher rates than nationally. 

Through this crisis, community members are joining in this fight, including 50+ public health practitioners in Illinois calling on Chicago’s Aldermen to protect drivers. 

The Chicago Rideshare Living Wage & Safety Ordinance, introduced by Alderman Mike Rodriguez, and backed by 28 Aldermen, would provide the drivers who move Chicagoans safely through the City new protections from unfair deactivation. The ordinance would also support drivers in earning predictable wages and make ridesharing platforms safer for drivers and riders. 

Chicago Gig Alliance has been organizing workers to win better pay and worker protections since 2019, and is a project of The People’s Lobby.

UPDATE: Brother and Sister of Slain Driver to Speak at Rideshare Driver Action

Rideshare Drivers, Aldermen Bring the Holiday Spirit to Uber Despite Uber’s Scrooge-like Behavior

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES: December 13, 2023

Contact: Deana Rutherford | 773-230-8112 or Emilio Vicente | 919 -360-4512

Chicago – As people celebrate the holiday season, Uber and Lyft drivers with Chicago Gig Alliance, along with Alderman Chris Taliaferro (Ward 29) and Alderman Julia Ramirez (Ward 12) will gather at The Uber Greenlight Hub for a Christmas-themed action with carols, costumes, and a naughty and nice list to call Uber out for its ongoing refusal to meet drivers’ needs for safety, fair pay, and an end to unfair deactivations. Uber’s unwillingness to provide for its workers’ needs hits even harder at Christmastime, as the corporation rolls out Christmas gimmicks like reindeer-shaped delivery robots and Christmas-themed party buses while failing to adequately respond to calls for basic worker protections.

Uber drivers will continue their call for Chicago’s City Council to pass the Chicago Rideshare Living Wage and Safety Ordinance as soon as possible. The ordinance would ensure that drivers, in particular drivers of color, have dignity, stability, and fairness on the job. 

The brother and sister of Mohammed al Hejoj, a Chicago driver who drove for Uber and other services and was shot and killed while driving earlier this month, will speak at the event to amplify the demand that rideshare app companies provide for the safety of their drivers by requiring passengers to verify their identities.

Who: Uber and Lyft drivers united in Chicago Gig Alliance,, Alderman Christopher Taliaferro (Ward 29), Alderwoman Julia Ramirez (Ward 12), the siblings of Mohammad al Hijoj, community members in support of drivers

What: Christmas-themed action with carols, costumes, and a naughty and nice list to demonstrate Uber’s greed and lack of holiday spirit

When: Thursday, December 14 at 12 PM CT

Where: Uber Hub, 1401 W North Ave, Chicago

Background: Chicago is facing a safety and deactivation crisis

Uber and Lyft conducted nearly 10,000 deactivations since 2020, with almost 4,000 driver accounts permanently deactivated in 2022, according to Chicago city data analyzed in a recent report by the Chicago Gig Alliance and The People’s Lobby. Uber and Lyft have shut out of work thousands of drivers, often with little explanation or recourse. 

Recent research from The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), the Chicago Gig Alliance, and The People’s Lobby found that 74 percent of Illinois drivers surveyed reported experiencing threats, harassment, or assaults in the last year, higher rates than nationally. 

Through this crisis, community members are joining in this fight, including 50+ public health practitioners in Illinois calling on Chicago’s Aldermen to protect drivers. 

The Chicago Rideshare Living Wage & Safety Ordinance, introduced by Alderman Mike Rodriguez, and backed by 28 Aldermen, would provide the drivers who move Chicagoans safely through the City new protections from unfair deactivation. The ordinance would also support drivers in earning predictable wages and make ridesharing platforms safer for drivers and riders. 

Elected officials urge Congressional Democrats to stand up to corporate lobbying by passing the Build Back Better Agenda

New report exposes corporate push to derail popular agenda

Media advisory: Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Contact: Deana Rutherford, 773-230-8112 or deana@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

What: Elected officials at the local, county, and state levels will hold a press conference in front of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Chicago headquarters to urge Congressional Democrats to stand with their constituents against corporate attempts to dodge taxes and derail President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. 

When and where: 9:00am – 9:20am, Wednesday, September 29, 300 E. Randolph. This is a part of a national day of action, with 25 People’s Action affiliates participating.

Why: For months, corporations like Blue Cross, Blue Shield have spent millions lobbying Congress to weaken the Build Back Better plan. According to Behind the Curtain: The Corporate Plot to Upend Democracy, a report that will be released at the press conference, Blue Cross Blue Shield is fifth on the list of top corporate lobbyists in 2021, spending more than $12 million urging members of Congress to allow them to continue to weasel out of paying their fair share in taxes. The new incriminating report, authored by People’s Action and Demos, reveals the depths of corporate disruption to President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Rather than allowing BCBS to hide their profits in a tax shelter or distribute them among wealthy shareholders, the Build Back Better plan would use that money to create millions of jobs by expanding health care, green energy, housing, and climate protection. Read the report here.

“I got into this work because I believe in government’s role in healing: healing the lives of our residents, disinvested communities, and even our planet. It’s sad, then, in this time of climate devastation, to see rich corporations like Blue Cross Blue Shield leave behind its work of healing in favor of seducing our federal representatives into ignoring their duty to their constituents. We need every Democrat in Congress to muster up the courage to pass the Build Back Better agenda, and to fund it by finally standing up to the super-rich and corporations like BCBS,” said Daniel La Spata, alderman of the first ward.

Who: Elected officials including Aldermen Daniel La Spata, Rossana Rodriguez, Byron Sigcho Lopez, Andre Vasquez, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Michael Rodriguez, and Matt Martin, County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, State Representatives Will Guzzardi and Delia Ramirez, State Senators Robert Peters and Mike Simmons, and community leaders from The People’s Lobby, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, One Northside, and Fair Economy Illinois.

Follow along on Twitter and Facebook Live. Media outlets have permission to use the livestream in broadcasts.

As Pandemic Holiday Hardships Continue Illinois Legislators Call for New Progressive Revenue to Avoid Cuts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Contact Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Springfield Can Close Billions of Dollars in Tax Loopholes and Giveaways To  Preserve Essential Services

Earlier this week Governor Pritzker announced over $700 million dollars in cuts to this year’s state budget, the tip of the iceberg of potential cuts. As families across Illinois struggle through a pandemic and recession, cuts to essential community services and government responsibilities will do irreparable harm to working and middle class families. Instead, state senators and representatives from across Illinois are calling on their colleagues and Gov. Pritzker to work together to close billions of dollars in tax loopholes and giveaways so that we can preserve essential services. 

WHAT: Virtual press conference

WHEN: 9:00am, December 17th

WHERE:  Virtual press conference on zoom. Attendees must register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqdO6srjksEtBek8R_xRhyTYkllhxWmIY1

WHO:  State Sen. Andy Manar (IL-48)

State Rep. Will Guzzardi (IL-39), Co-Chair, House Progressive Caucus

State Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-4), Secretary, House Progressive Caucus

State Sen. Robert Peters (IL-13), Chair, Senate Black Caucus

State Rep. Dan Didech (IL-59)

State Sen. Ram Villivalam (IL-8)

Rep. Lakesia Collins (IL-9)

Rep. Bob Morgan (IL-58)

Rep. Elect. Dagmara Avelar (IL-85)

Illinois residents experiencing hardship resulting from the pandemic and recession 

Clergy, Community Organizers Unveil “Budget for Black Lives”

Divesting $157 million from the Cook County Jail to Invest in Community Wellbeing

COOK COUNTY, IL

What: Clergy, community organizers and policy experts will hold a press conference to release a well-researched Cook County Budget for Black Lives that makes the case for increasing community safety and reducing harm to Black communities caused by policing and incarceration. The budget divests from the Cook County jail and invests $157 million in healthcare, housing, restorative justice, broadband for all, and good jobs.

When and Where: 10:30 am on Wednesday, September, 9, 2020, corner of Ogden & Damen, outside Stroger Hospital (near 1969 Ogden Ave). A live stream can also be viewed on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/peopleslobbyusa/videos/709122519642918

Why: There is no proven correlation between policing and safety, yet Cook County spends more than $600 million annually on racist systems of policing and incarceration that harm Black, Brown and poor communities.

Investing in people, not punishment, will make everyone safer. Real community safety is achieved with good jobs, safe and affordable housing, excellent schools, robust public transit and universal access to essential health services.

By taking money away from the Cook County Jail, we can reduce harm and invest in ways that allow Black, Brown, and poor communities to thrive.

Speakers will also address the fact that Cook County Health has proposed cuts to its 2021 budget of $55 million to deal with the deficit caused by COVID-19. “At a time when thousands of people – especially Black people – are dying as a result of the pandemic, we must address budget challenges by cutting money to systems of policing and incarceration that cause harm rather than the public health system that saves lives,” says Rev. Charles Straight from The People’s Lobby.

Who: The campaign, called “Budget for Black Lives: Defund the Cook County Jail, Invest in our Communities”, is a coalition of The People’s Lobby, SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Chicago Community Bond Fund, National Nurses United, and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law.

Forty-three (43) additional organizations officially support the Justice for Black Lives resolution sponsored by Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, and more than 300 community leaders and impacted people submitted testimony in support of the “Justice for Black Lives” resolution at the Criminal Justice Committee hearing.

###

Criminal Justice Committee passes “Justice for Black Lives” resolution calling for diversion of money from the jail system to supportive services

Media Advisory: Thursday, July 30, 2020

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Criminal Justice Committee passes “Justice for Black Lives” resolution calling for diversion of money from the jail system to supportive services

Organizers expect passage by the full Cook County Board of Commissioners Thursday, July 30th

What: Press conference praising the expected passage of the Justice for Black Lives resolution by the full Cook County Board of Commissioners on Thursday, July 30, 2020. The criminal justice committee — a committee of the whole board — passed the resolution 16-1 on Monday, July 27.

When: Thursday, July 30, 2020, 4:30 pm 

Where: 50 W Washington Ave., Chicago, outside the Richard J Daley Center

Who: Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson and representatives from the campaign’s leading organizations: The People’s Lobby, SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Chicago Community Bond Fund, National Nurses United, and the Shriver Center on Poverty Law. 

Forty-three (43) additional organizations officially support the Justice for Black Lives resolution, and more than 300 community leaders and impacted people submitted testimony in support of the resolution at Monday’s Criminal Justice Committee hearing.

Why: The Justice for Black Lives resolution calls on the county to divert money from the jail system to be invested in supportive services — not administered by law enforcement — in Black and Brown communities. The county has lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue due to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Cutting funding from a massively over-funded jail system can help Cook County avoid cuts to healthcare and other community services desperately needed during a global pandemic. Cook County Commissioners are now beginning the process of 2021 budget negotiations.

Each year, Cook County spends more than $600 million on incarceration through the Cook County Sheriff’s budget, which includes sheriff’s police, the Cook County Jail, and more. Although the jail population had gone down by more than 50% since 2013, the budget for the jail has actually increased by 26%. If the jail budget had gone down proportionally to the number of people locked up, we would have $117 million more for other public services in Cook County.

“Across the globe, people are demanding investment and dignity as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. We must heed that call and shift our focus as a society away from criminalization and incarceration toward preventive investment measures. Black people need jobs that pay a living wage, affordable housing and universal healthcare,” Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said. “We deserve a community where the jail is not the largest mental health services provider in the county.  We must change this dynamic so that our people receive essential services without having to be inmates at the Cook County Jail.”

“The Black community has dealt with decades of devastation caused by police violence and mass incarceration, and now COVID-19 has triggered a health crisis and an economic crisis,” said Rev. Charles Straight of The People’s Lobby. “It would be irresponsible for the County to balance its budget by cutting health care, mental health, public defenders, housing, and other services at this moment. We need to expand these services and instead cut the budgets of the Cook County Jail and Cook County Sheriff.”

###

Activists Urge Cook County Commissioners to Defund the Cook County Jail, Hold Car Caravan and Rally at 27th and California

Media Advisory: Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4624 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org 

Activist Urge Cook County Commissioners to Defund the Cook County Jail, Hold Car Caravan and Rally at 27th and California

What: Car caravan and physically distant rally calling on the Cook County Board of Commissioners to divest from Cook County Jail and to invest in strengthening social services the county provides, including housing, health care and mental health services, and restorative justice. This will coincide with the introduction of a resolution by Commissioner Brandon Johnson at the Cook County Board meeting that will begin at 10:00 am.

When and Where: Thursday, June 18 — Car caravan starts at 9:45 am. Physically distant rally with speakers starts at 10:30 am in the grassy median at 2700 S. California.

Who: This action is being organized by SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Chicago Community Bond Fund with the endorsement of Black Lives Matter Chicago, Circles & Ciphers, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Community Renewal Society, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, GoodKids MadCity, A Just Harvest, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, Free Write Sound & Vision, Love & Protect, Black Eutopia, Osiris Khepera, Community Cave, The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, & AirGo.

Why: Each year, Cook County spends more than $600 million each year supporting a racist system of policing and incarceration through the Cook County Sheriff’s budget, which includes sheriff’s police, the Cook County Jail, and more. Although the jail population had gone down by more than 50% since 2013, the budget for the jail has actually increased by 26%. If the jail budget had gone down proportionally to the number of people locked up, we would have $117 million more for other public services in Cook County.

Social Media Details: Find the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/868768570268254/ and search #DefundCCJ on Twitter to follow along. 

###

For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 18, 2020

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4624 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org 

Communities Urge Cook County Commissioners to Defund the Cook County Jail,

Hold Car Caravan and Rally at 27th and California

Chicago, IL — Building on the momentum of the movement to defund police and invest money in Black and Brown communities, activists will hold a car caravan on Thursday, June 18 at 9:45 am and a foot rally at 10:30 am at 2700 S. California urging Cook County Commissioners to take money out of the Cook County Jail and invest in housing, mental health services and other things that actually make communities safer

“Every year, thousands of people are incarcerated in Cook County Jail only because they can’t afford to pay a money bond. Wealth-based pretrial incarceration is unacceptable in Cook County. We must continue to reduce the number of people in Cook County Jail and reduce the Cook County Jail’s budget accordingly. It is time for Cook County to divest from the jail and invest in our communities,” said Malik Alim, Campaign Coordinator for Chicago Community Bond Fund.

This rally coincides with the introduction of the “Justice for Black Lives” resolution by Commissioner Brandon Johnson, broadly supporting organizers’ demands. “There is no correlation between the money spent on the criminal justice system and the safety of our residents. In fact, as spending on police and incarceration has gone up over the last decade, Black and Brown people actually feel less safe,” Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson said. “It’s past time to redirect the hundreds of millions of dollars we spend on the failed, racist system of policing and criminalization into services and programs that will actually promote and protect the health and welfare of our communities.”

Each year, Cook County spends more than $600 million supporting a racist system of policing and incarceration through the Cook County Sheriff’s budget, which includes sheriff’s police, the Cook County Jail, and more. Although the jail population had gone down by more than 50% since 2013, the budget for the jail has actually increased by 26%. If the jail budget had gone down proportionally to the number of people locked up, we would have $117 million more for other public services in Cook County.

“Most crime and violence happens because people don’t have good paying jobs and other resources that allow them to support their families,” says Pastor Erik Christensen, a leader with The People’s Lobby. “Racist economic policies like refusing to lend money to Black homebuyers and business owners and putting jobs in white communities has left Black and Brown communities struggling to survive. Jail is not the solution. Investment in Black and Brown communities is what we need.”

A just future is one in which we spend our resources on the things that actually create community health and safety. Instead of pouring more and more money each year into violent and racist policing and incarceration, we must invest it in housing, health care, mental health services, living wage jobs, public transportation, and restorative justice.

This action is being organized by SOUL – Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Chicago Community Bond Fund with the endorsement of Black Lives Matter Chicago, Circles & Ciphers, Chicago Torture Justice Center, Community Renewal Society, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, GoodKids MadCity, A Just Harvest, the #LetUsBreathe Collective, Free Write Sound & Vision, Love & Protect, Black Eutopia, Osiris Khepera, Community Cave, The Committee for a Just Peace in Israel and Palestine, & AirGo.

Find the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/868768570268254/ and search #DefundCCJ on Twitter to follow along. 

With no new COVID relief in sight, constituents ask: “Where’s Senator Durbin?”

Media Advisory: Wednesday, July 15

Contact Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

With no new COVID relief in sight, constituents ask: “Where’s Senator Durbin?”

July 31 deadline looms: Eviction moratoriums, weekly $600 unemployment boost to expire

Tens of millions have NO HEALTH CARE during the pandemic

Black and Latinx people CONTINUE TO FALL ILL AND DIE in outsized numbers

WHAT: Demonstration asking “Where’s Senator Durbin? We need a People’s Bailout NOW!” Without guaranteed healthcare, housing and monthly cash assistance for everyone, Americans could be looking at a future worse than the Great Depression. 

WHEN AND WHERE: Wednesday, July 15 at 4PM CDT. Chicago’s Federal Plaza, corner of Dearborn and Adams. Facebook event here

WHY: Senator Durbin is the Democratic Whip and the second most powerful Democratic Senator in America. Senator Durbin should be at the forefront of the fight for a People’s Bailout that addresses racial disparities and guarantees healthcare, housing and financial relief for people, not corporations. Congress has passed 4 relief bills, but only one has given aid directly to individuals and families, and key aspects expire July 31, including the weekly $600 boost to unemployment insurance and the local ban on evictions.

Although Senator Durbin does support extending the weekly $600 boost to unemployment insurance, extending the moratorium on evictions, and some rental assistance funding, he isn’t fighting for the scale of relief we need: guaranteed healthcare, housing and monthly cash assistance for everyone! 

Instead of providing healthcare for everyone, Senator Durbin talks about increasing funding for corporate hospitals. How can you be against Medicare for All during a global pandemic? And while a bloc of progressive Senators supports $2,000 a month for everyone for the duration of the pandemic, Senator Durbin has been also silent on monthly financial support for individuals.

Facebook event here. Follow #WheresDurbin and #PeoplesBailout on Twitter and Facebook.

VISUALS: Where’s Waldo?” signs with Durbin’s face.  Giant calendar, counting the days until local eviction moratoriums and the weekly $600 unemployment boost expire. Giant pill bottles, with our “People’s Bailout” Rx of health care, rent/mortgage relief and monthly cash payments. Tent city to illustrate looming eviction crisis. Moment of silence with tombstones highlighting the deadly consequences to millions uninsured.

WHO: People directly impacted by the health and economic crises caused by COVID-19. Organized by Fair Economy Illinois, this demonstration is part of a national week of action by People’s Action member organizations calling for a “People’s Bailout”. 

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:  Time is running out for the Senate to pass another COVID-19 relief package that serves people, rather than corporations, and is large enough to keep the economy from sliding into a long-term depression. It is also an issue of racial justice:

  • Black and Latinx people are three times more likely to contract the virus than whites and twice as likely to die.
  • Tens of millions people have lost their jobs and health care. COVID related unemployment for Black workers is 4.5 points higher than whites. Latinos are at 5 points higher.
  • Millions more who were unemployed before this crisis also need cash assistance. Even last year, as the national jobless rate fell below 4 percent to its lowest level in half a century, the rate for black men in Illinois was nearly 10 percent.
  • The extra $600 per week in COVID-19 unemployment benefits also expires on July 31. 
  • Chicago’s and Illinois’ moratoriums on evictions ends on July 31. 

Previous stimulus packages — including the HEROES ACT sent to the Senate by the House of Representatives on Friday, May 15 — fall far short of addressing people’s needs. 

Several bill in Congress would provide large-scale and long-term relief that puts all people before corporations, including:

  • Medicare to every uninsured person (H.R. 6674 – Medicare Crisis Program Act of 2020. Senate – Emergency Health Care Guarantee Act)
  • Cancelation of rents and mortgages for the duration of the crisis (HR 6515 The Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act of 2020. There is not a Senate version of this bill.)
  • Cash assistance of $2,000 a month to every person. (H.R.6553 – Automatic Boost to Communities Act. Senate – Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act)

###

A progressive message wins key Cook County 2020 Primary races

For immediate release: March 17, 2020
Contact: Kristi Sanford, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or 773-456-4024

A progressive message wins key Cook County races: Commitments to criminal justice reform, Medicare for All and green jobs propel Kim Foxx, Marie Newman to victory

Cook County, IL — “Voters really responded to a vision of safety and security that comes from universal health care, paid family and sick leave, more funding for schools and public universities, living wage jobs and rather than more policing and incarceration,” says Will Tanzman, Executive Director of The People’s Lobby.

In the weeks leading up to the election, The People’s Lobby made more than made well over 150,000 dials and door knocks resulting in more than 11,000 conversations with voters and sent 85,000 texts about endorsed candidates. More than 100,000 voters watched social media ads where our members shared why they supported Kim Foxx, in particular. Voter contact work about Kim Foxx was done in partnership with Vote Liberation.

The People’s Lobby had conversations with 2,000 voters about Marie Newman for Congress in Illinois’ 3rd District in the past 5 months and a total of more than 6,000 conversations in the past two and a half years.

We also invested heavily in talking to voters about State Senator Robert Peters in Illinois’ 13th District.

“By leading with our values and issue priorities, we were able to have conversations about as many as three or four candidates in a single voter conversation,” says Marta Popadiak, Organizing Director of The People’s Lobby. “In Chicago’s eleventh ward, we asked voters to support Bernie Sanders, Kim Foxx, Marie Newman and State Representative Theresa Mah.”

Regarding Kim Foxx’s Victory:

“This is a huge victory for the people of Cook County and for the entire criminal justice reform movement. Kim Foxx is absolutely a champion of justice for the people,” says April Friendly of The People’s Lobby. “Cook County has been known for our record number of wrongful convictions, but tonight we re-elected a state’s attorney who is working openly and unapologetically with the community to fight back against racist practices and policies that perpetuate mass incarceration. The People’s Lobby’s conversations with more than 9,600 voters, in partnership with Vote Liberation, played a big role in defeating a billionaire who tried to buy the office for his son.”

Regarding Marie Newman’s Victory:

“After several months of talking to voters about Marie’s support for Medicare for All, the Green New Deal and immigrant’s rights, it feels great to know someone who shares our values will be representing us in Congress,” says Annie Jacobs, a member of The People’s Lobby. “But our work doesn’t end on Election Day. We’ll be supporting and holding Marie accountable to fighting for these things in Washington.”

The People’s Lobby is a membership-driven organization of people across the Chicago region that work together to build widespread support for public policies and candidates – including people from our communities – that put racial and gender justice and the needs of people and the planet before the interests of big corporations and the very rich.

Learn more at https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/. View our entire list of 2020 primary endorsements here: https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/endorsements/

Thousands of conversations with voters propel Kim Foxx to victory, a huge win for Cook County and the criminal justice reform movement

For immediate release: March 17, 2020

Contact: Kristi Sanford, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or 773-456-4024

Thousands of conversations with voters propel Kim Foxx to victory, a huge win for Cook County and the criminal justice reform movement

Cook County, IL — A statement from The People’s Lobby

In the weeks leading up to the election, The People’s Lobby made more than made well over 150,000 dials and door knocks resulting in more than 11,000 conversations with voters and sent 85,000 texts about Kim Foxx. More than 100,000 voters watched social media ads where our members shared why they supported Kim Foxx. Voter contact work about Kim Foxx was done in partnership with Vote Liberation.

“This is a huge victory for the people of Cook County and for the entire criminal justice reform movement. Kim Foxx is absolutely a champion of justice for the people,” says April Friendly of The People’s Lobby. “Cook County has been known for our record number of wrongful convictions, but tonight we re-elected a state’s attorney who is working openly and unapologetically with the community to fight back against racist practices and policies that perpetuate mass incarceration. The People’s Lobby’s conversations with more than 9,600 voters, in partnership with Vote Liberation, played a big role in defeating a billionaire who tried to buy the office for his son.”

During Kim Foxx’s first term, The People’s Lobby released six (6) reports on Kim Foxx’s progress in keeping her 2016 campaign promises.

The People’s Lobby is a membership-driven organization of people across the Chicago region that work together to build widespread support for public policies and candidates – including people from our communities – that put racial and gender justice and the needs of people and the planet before the interests of big corporations and the very rich.

Learn more at https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/. View our entire list of 2020 primary endorsements here: https://www.thepeopleslobbyusa.org/endorsements/

With pretrial freedom for more than 200,000 people at stake, Illinoisans gather in Springfield seeking statewide criminal justice reforms

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, July 10, 2019
Press contacts: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Springfield, IL — On Saturday, July 13, from noon to 5:00 pm, people from communities from across Illinois will hold “The People’s Convening on Pretrial Freedom” at The State House Inn, 101 E Adams St, Springfield, Illinois. With an Illinois Supreme Court Commission scheduled to issue statewide recommendations in December 2019 for how courts handle cases before trial, representatives from communities as far apart as Carbondale, Chicago, Decatur, East St. Louis, Peoria, Springfield, and Rockford will gather to develop strategies to end unjust pretrial practices in Illinois. This event, organized by the Coalition to End Money Bond, is the first gathering of the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice.

Every year, more than 250,000 people are admitted to Illinois’ 92 jails. Ninety percent (90%) of them are incarcerated pretrial without having been convicted of a crime—a much higher rate than the national average of 67%. This year, Illinois has a unique opportunity to move toward a drastic reduction in the number of people jailed while awaiting trial by ending unaffordable money bond, an unjust practice that causes immense harm to communities with less access to wealth, particularly Black, Brown, and impoverished families.

From 1:30 to 4:00 pm, attendees will run workshops and strategize about how to win statewide reforms. Workshop topics include how money bonds drive mass incarceration, the drastic rise in electronic monitoring, and the ways risk assessment tools amplify racism already present in the legal system. At 4:00 pm, attendees will march to the Sangamon County Jail (101 E Adams St, Springfield, Illinois 62701) for a rally calling for the end of wealth-based incarceration in Illinois.

“The movement for pretrial justice has been growing across the state of Illinois. Over the last year, social justice advocates have organized educational events and rallies in their communities and have raised money to bail people out from their county jails. Change Peoria is excited to join the other groups and individuals from around Illinois to drive home the fact that money bail isn’t just a Cook County problem but an Illinois problem and call for its elimination,” said Ryan Hidden, Executive Director of Change Peoria.

“I spent 14 months in Cook County Jail because I couldn’t afford to pay my money bond. I am coming to Springfield to connect with people from across Illinois to help ensure that no one is incarcerated simply because they can’t afford to pay a money bond,” said Lavette Mayes, advocate and organizer with Chicago Community Bond Fund.

In December 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Pretrial Practices will make recommendations for reforms to Illinois’ pretrial justice system. Convened in 2017, the commission met in secret for more than a year. Following an outcry organized by the Coalition to End Money Bond, the Commission held four public hearings and accepted written comments. 

Reform advocates are calling for a proposed Supreme Court Rule that would significantly reduce the number of people incarcerated pretrial in Illinois by prohibiting detention based solely on the inability to pay a money bond. Written comments have been submitted from a diverse group of organizations and individuals, addressing the many ways in which money bond and pretrial incarceration harm our communities. In addition to a letter from the Coalition to End Money Bond, written comment was submitted by Access Living, the ACLU, the Challenging E-Carceration Campaign, Chicago Jobs Council, Chicago Recovery Alliance, Chicago Teachers Union, the Civic Federation, the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School, Human Rights Watch, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Love & Protect, Metropolitan Planning Council, NAMI Chicago, TASC, civil rights attorneys, and a diverse group of researchers and scholars concerned about the technical flaws in pretrial risk assessments. Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Health & Hospitals System, State Representative Will Guzzardi, and State Representative Justin Slaughter also submitted written comments. You can read those written comments here. 

Additionally, the Coalition to End Money Bond released the report “Pursuing Pretrial Freedom: The Urgent Need for Bond Reform in Illinois” last month. The report explores the impact of money bond and pretrial incarceration across Illinois and makes recommendations for how the state can reform its pretrial justice system.

“The People’s Convening on Pretrial Freedom marks the culmination of a multi-year campaign effort to influence the outcome of the Illinois Supreme Court convened a Commission on Pretrial Practices. On July 13th, we will come together to make sure our call for an end to wealth-based incarceration has been heard loud and clear. We are hopeful that the Commission will do the right thing and help bring us closer to an Illinois where no one is incarcerated simply because they can’t afford to pay a money bond,” said Sharlyn Grace, Executive Director of Chicago Community Bond Fund.


Search #endmoneybail on twitter to learn more.
@EndMoneyBond | www.endmoneybond.org | https://www.facebook.com/endmoneybond

Activists to march denouncing Fraternal Order of Police’s ties to white supremacists

Media Advisory: Thursday, May 2, 2019

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Activists to march denouncing Fraternal Order of Police’s ties to white supremacists, declaring them dangerous to Black and brown communities

What: Chicago activists working for police accountability and reforms to the criminal justice system will march on the Fraternal Order of Police headquarters denouncing their racist agenda.

When: 4 pm on Monday, May 6, 2019

Where: Starting in Union Park at the corner of Ogden and Washington and ending at the Fraternal Order of Police headquarters at 1412 W. Washington Blvd. in Chicago.

Why: The Fraternal Order of Police and its president Kevin Graham are dangerous to Black and brown communities because they:

  • Support the militarization of local police forces and total impunity for its overwhelmingly white membership: for example, they continue to stand by the late Cmdr. Jon Burge and Officer Jason Van Dyke
  • Oppose all reforms to policing and the legal system that reduce incarceration in Black and brown communities
  • Endorsed Donald Trump for president, support Trump’s racist agenda and are ok with white supremacists participation in their street demonstrations.

The Fraternal Order of Police is the modern day Bull Connor. Like police who allowed the KKK to attack civil rights activists during Jim Crow, the modern-day Fraternal Order of Police supports the dirty work of white supremacists within police departments, courts and government.

Who: The People’s Lobby, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, A Just Harvest and Black Lives Matter Chicago

Demands: Activists are demanding that the Fraternal Order of Police:

  1. Stop racist depictions of Black and brown communities, stop racist fearmongering in the media, and denounce white supremacists within their ranks and at their public events.
  2. Abandon their racist agenda of opposing all reforms to the legal system, including opposition to police oversight and opposition to bail/bond reform.
  3. Support the Civil Police Accountability Council.
  4. Cease standing with police officers who torture and murder civilians.
  5. Stop using money to lobby for militarized policing and increased incarceration.
  6. Prioritize the voices of the community in deciding what criminal justice reform and restorative justice looks like in our communities.
  7. Negotiate a police union contract that is fair and equitable to Chicago residents – one that does not allow police to get away with misconduct, excessive force, and murder.

###

Environmental Activists Condemn Racist Fossil Fuel Industry Bill Seeking to Criminalize Protest, Undermine Democracy

Media Advisory: Thursday, April 25, 2019

 

Reclaim Chicago’s Andre Vasquez draws union support in quest to unseat O’Connor

For immediate release: Wednesday, March 12, 2019

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Neighbor, father, and customer service manager poised for big city council upset: Reclaim Chicago’s Andre Vasquez draws union support in quest to unseat O’Connor

Chicago, IL — Inspired to be active in politics for the first time by Bernie Sanders’ campaign for president, Andre Vasquez connected with Reclaim Chicago in early 2016 to knock doors on Chicago’s northside for the Senator. Since then, Vasquez has been active in Reclaim Chicago’s core leadership on Chicago’s north side, leading voter contact programs for Daniel Biss for Governor and Ram Villivalam for State Senate and fighting for a fair elections ordinance that would help get big money out of municipal political campaigns in order to level the playing field for campaigns like his against corporate and machine backed candidates.

Today, several major unions announced support for Andre Vasquez: Chicago Teachers Union, AFSCME Council 31, SEIU HCII, SEIU Local 73, and CCCTU.

Reclaim Chicago runs a campaign leadership school with tracks for candidates, staff and super volunteers that want to run visionary campaigns that call for bold reforms and are powered by grassroots leaders. With more than 2,500 door knocks per week, dozens of weekly volunteer shifts and more than $100,000 raised before today’s endorsements, Vasquez has the strength to defeat O’Connor on April 2, 2019. Read more

For Immediate Release: 10:18 pm, Tuesday, February 26, 2018

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

With volunteer-driven campaigns,

Reclaim Chicago candidate Andre Vasquez will face O’Connor (40) in run off

The People’s Lobby’s endorsed candidate Daniel La Spata defeats Moreno

Chicago, IL — Two years of grassroots organizing work paid off on Election Night, as Andre Vasquez and members of The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Reclaim Chicago celebrate forcing Pat O’Connor (40) into a runoff election on April 2, 2019. Endorsed by The People’s Lobby, Daniel La Spata defeated incumbent Joe Moreno by a large margin.

“Tonight, we feel hopeful about charting a new course for Chicago by building progressive power in city council,” says Will Tanzman, Executive Director of The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago. “We demonstrated that the machine is no longer invincible and that people organized at the ward level can effectively challenge aldermen who put the wellbeing of big business and wealthy campaign donors before our needs.”

“As nurses, we support candidates who will support a fair and just society for all, not only for the corporations and political donors,” says Helen Bernard, RN with National Nurses United.

The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Reclaim Chicago began working with Andre Vasquez and Daniel La Spata back in 2016 to lay the foundation for tonight’s election results.

“Unless we’re born into wealthy or well-connected political families, we all get the message that we don’t belong in elected positions of power. This is especially true for people of color and women,” says Marta Popadiak, Organizing Director of The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago. “Andre Vasquez’s campaign shows that when we reject that message, we inspire others to give the time and energy needed to elect people from our communities who will stay true to their roots while in office.”

Daniel La Spata took a big risk by taking on an incumbent with huge financial backing by developers, and his risk paid off,” says Marta Popadiak, Organizing Director of The People’s Lobby. “La Spata has a deep commitment to affordable housing, to racial and economic diversity in the ward and to getting big money out of Chicago politics. We look forward to working with him to win real improvements for all communities outside the loop.”

“A majority of voters in the 40th Ward are done with O’Connor’s ties to the machine, to politicians that are going to jail, and to racist policies that put downtown before Chicago’s neighborhoods,” says Andre Vasquez, candidate for alderman in the 40th ward. “For the past two years, we’ve been organizing with The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago to build the base to run an effective campaign rooted in shared priorities of getting big-money out of politics, ensuring aldermen serve their wards and making Chicago much more equitable. ” With more than 2,500 door knocks per week, dozens of weekly volunteer shifts and more than $100,000 raised, Vasquez has the strength to defeat O’Connor on April 2, 2019.

“I volunteered with The People’s Lobby on the campaigns of several visionary candidates which made me a believer that great campaigns spark the moral and political imagination of a community,“ says Daniel La Spata. “The People’s Lobby taught to run on a vision, not just a list of policy priorities, and to build a campaign driven by community leaders.”

Having run volunteer canvasses since the first weekend in January in seven wards (1, 20, 25, 31, 33, 40, and 49) grassroots activists can confirm voters in very different parts of the city are united in anger about corruption and lack of affordable housing.

The People’s Lobby, National Nurses United, and Reclaim Chicago ran voter contact programs in support of winning candidate Maria Hadden in the 49th Ward and Rossana Rodriguez who pushed incumbent Deb Mell into a runoff in the 33rd Ward. Reclaim Chicago endorsed Alderman Carlos Rosa who was elected to a second term in the 35th Ward after having played a key role in his 2015 election. We recognize the years of strong neighborhood organizing by 33rd Ward Working Families and United Neighbors of the 35th Ward that laid the foundation for tonight’s election results.

Additionally, The People’s Lobby mobilized well-trained volunteers to do voter contact work with Jeanette Taylor in the 20th Ward, who finished first in a field of nine with almost a third of the vote.

Reclaim Chicago is supported by The People’s Lobby and National Nurses United.

###

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, February 20, 2018

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Volunteers lead robust voter contact campaigns around Chicago:

“I’m shy, but these conversations are so rewarding.

People are just waiting to be asked what our communities need.”

Alyssa Carabez is leading Reclaim Chicago and The People’s Lobby’s canvass for Colin Bird-Martinez for Alderman in Chicago’s 31st Ward. In several wards across the city, volunteers like Carabez are playing key leadership roles in mobilizing Reclaim Chicago and The People’s Lobby’s members to canvass and phone bank for progressive candidates. Robust voter-contact programs are critical to giving candidates without ties to the machine or wealthy donors a fighting chance, and deeply motivated volunteers have the most convincing conversations with angry or undecided voters. The Bird-Martinez campaign has had more than 100 volunteers canvass during this election cycle.

Carabez is the granddaughter of Mexican and Italian immigrants. Her parents grew up on Taylor street, then moved around the metro area to find work and affordable housing. “My parents struggled with unemployment and foreclosure while raising four kids,” says Carabez. “Now that they’re in their fifties, they finally feel established. All of my friends’ families struggled like this too, but I don’t believe it has to be this way. I’m active in politics because I think we can create systems that actually take care of people.”

Carabez first canvassed her neighborhood with Bird-Martinez in the midst of the Illinois budget crisis almost two years ago. They talked to neighbors about a “people and planet first“ budget for the state. “I’m really very shy, but these conversations are so rewarding,” says Carabez. “People are just waiting to be asked what they need and they want for our communities.”

During the day, Carabez works for an ad agency doing copy editing and proofreading. She studied English at Roosevelt University, and spent almost four years doing contingency work before finding this full-time job with benefits.

“I love this neighborhood because families look out for each other and we have a real sense of community,” says Carabez. “But it won’t stay that way if we don’t fight together for affordable housing. When I ask people to get involved, they understand we’re not doing anyone any favors. Each door we knock is for us and helps create the community we want to live in.”

After investing several years in building an electoral program that played key roles in electing progressives like Ald. Carlos Rosa, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Rep. Will Guzzardi in city, county and state races, Reclaim Chicago and The People’s Lobby are now supporting homegrown candidates running for city council in Chicago’s 31st and 40th Wards. Colin Bird-Martinez (31) and Andre Vasquez (40) are running strong races, with large volunteer-run canvasses and competitive grassroots financial support.

Reclaim Chicago and The People’s Lobby have also endorsed Rossana Rodriguez in the 33rd Ward, Maria Hadden in the 49th Ward and incumbent Alderman Carlos Rosa in the 35th Ward.

Reclaim Chicago is supported by The People’s Lobby and National Nurses United.

Additionally, The People’s Lobby has endorsed the following candidates for Chicago City Council and Oak Park Village Trustee: Cleopatra Watson in Chicago’s 9th Ward, Alderman Sue Sadlowski Garza in Chicago’s 10th Ward, Jeanette Taylor in Chicago’s 20th Ward, Hilario Dominguez in Chicago’s 25th Ward, incumbent Alderman John Arena in Chicago’s 45th Ward, Erika Wozniak in Chicago’s 46th Ward, Matt Martin in Chicago’s 47th Ward, Christian Harris in Oak Park at-large, Tim Thomas in Oak Park at-large and Arti Walker-Peddakotla in Oak Park at-large.

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 9, 2019
Contact: Timothy Ryan, 347-257-5010 or tim@reclaimfairelections.org or
Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

New website maps contributions to aldermen,
linking money, influence and power in Chicago politics

CHICAGO, IL — Grassroots activists affiliated with The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago launched ReclaimFairElections.org, a resource to help Chicagoans easily identify campaign contributions made since 2015 to Chicago aldermen. Users can enter their address or the name of their alderman to access a map of campaign contributors organized by donation levels, location of donors, amounts from political action committees, and more.

“Ed Burke’s abuse of power for his personal gain is just the tip of iceberg that is Chicago corruption,” said Morgan Oliver, community organizer at Reclaim Chicago. “Chicago’s neighborhoods are in crisis because developers, CEOs of big banks and global corporations and heads of private equity firms, who are almost entirely white and almost always men, run our city for their profit. They use their tremendous wealth to fund elections and they get results.”

“The real life consequences of big money in politics are racist and hurt all poor, working and middle class communities: displacement by luxury housing, the closure of schools and mental health clinics, the loss of important and decent-paying public jobs like teaching and devastating increases in fines and fees, all while investing hundreds of millions of dollars in developments like Lincoln Yards” says Jessica Creery, Chair of The People’s Lobby and Reclaim Chicago’s Fair Elections Taskforce. “Public funding of elections is among the most vital government reforms we need to make our communities safer and more equitable.”

Activists are calling for Chicago City council to pass a Fair Elections Ordinance, a proposal first introduced in 2016 to institute a small-donor match campaign finance program. This structure would level the playing field for city council candidates and remove the influence money has on Chicago politics — but city council members swiftly rejected the proposal in committee. Read more

Clergy, Daniel Biss Escalate Demand of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans: “Free The Captives: Stop Jailing People for Being Black, Brown and Poor!”

MEDIA ADVISORY: October 26, 2018 Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

Chicago, Cook County, IL — At 2:30 PM on Tuesday, October 30, 2018, at 2650 S. California, religious leaders in clerical apparel, along with State Senator Daniel Biss, will lead a demonstration called “Freeing the Captives: A Call for Mass Liberation” on the steps of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ courthouse, demanding that Judge Evans and his six bond court judges end the use of money bonds.

With public safety taking center stage in Chicago’s 2019 mayoral race, activists are escalating demands for major reforms to racist policing and court systems. Reforms to money bond could reduce the Cook County Jail population by 40%.

What: Activist take fight to #EndMoneyBond to Judge Timothy Evans and Bond Court Judges

When: 2:30 PM, Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Where: Steps of George N Leighton Criminal Court Building, 2650 S. California

Who: Organized by The People’s Lobby, Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation (SOUL), Reclaim Chicago, and A Just Harvest.

Audio and Visuals: Religious leaders in clerical apparel will lead a demonstration themed “Freeing the Captives: A Call for Mass Liberation”

Social Media: Follow #EndMoneyBond on Twitter for updates during the action.

Background: Activists say money bonds result in the incarceration of thousands of Black and Brown people in the Cook County Jail every year before trial simply because are too poor to pay for their freedom. Right now, about 2,700 people in the Cook County Jail — about 40% of the total jail population — cannot afford to pay a bond. Cook County’s overall population is about one-quarter African American, but the jail’s population is 73% Black.

One year ago in September Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans made an important reform to Cook County’s use of money bonds. Evans issued General Order 18.8A requiring Cook County judges to use money bonds as a last resort and, if requiring a person to pay a money bond, to first confirm that person has the ability to pay that amount. Although some bond court judges initially followed Evans’ order, adherence since has declined precipitously, causing the number of people incarcerated before trial because they are poor to climb steeply in recent months.

For immediate release: Monday, June 11, 2018

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or Sharlyn Grace, 773-946-8535, sharlyngrace@chicagoappleseed.org

Data from Cook County State’s Attorney Reveals Increased Transparency, Room for Improvement on Pledge to Reduce Incarceration Rates

Chicago, Cook County, IL — In her campaign for Cook County State’s Attorney, Kimberly Foxx promised a new era of transparency and a “data-driven strategy” to decrease incarceration rates and to begin correcting the longstanding racism and punitiveness of our local criminal justice system. “A Step In The Right Direction: An Analysis of Felony Prosecution Data in Cook County,” a new report by advocates for criminal justice reform, uses data to assess Foxx’s progress towards her campaign commitments. The report is authored by The People’s Lobby, Reclaim Chicago and the Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice.

The report commends Foxx for keeping her commitment to transparency by releasing eight years of raw data–including data from 2017, her first full year in office–on the felony charges brought by the State’s Attorney’s Office and their outcomes, including information about the sentences received. The report also commends Foxx for being the first and only prosecutor in the nation to hire a Chief Data Officer to track and analyze data with the goal of improving office performance.

Foxx’s release of felony case-level data is especially important because experts posit that one cause of dramatically increased incarceration rates over the last several decades is the increase in felony charges filed by prosecutors. The Cook County data shows that Foxx’s use of the felony review process has decreased the percentage of felony charges filed by the office by 11.4% compared to her predecessor, Anita Alvarez. Foxx continues a key practice of Alvarez’s office, however, by giving police the power to make the initial charging decisions related to drug cases without prior approval by the State’s Attorney’s Office. Because felony drug charges filed by police composed 42% of the total felony cases filed in 2017, felony drug charges significantly diluted the overall decrease in felony charges filed by the State’s Attorney’s Office.

Therefore, we recommend that Foxx make further progress on reducing incarceration rates by reinstating felony review for drug charges and using her prosecutorial discretion to decline to charge some drug possession and sales cases.

Recommendations

  1. Reinstate felony review for drug charges and use prosecutorial discretion to avoid charging lower-level drug crimes.

  1. Continue and expand the practice of more rigorous felony review started in State’s Attorney Foxx’s first year in order to decrease the number of felonies charged.

  1. Decide on a department-wide goal of reducing felony charges filed by prosecutors over the next two years.

  1. Decide on a department-wide goal of reducing the number of people sentenced to incarceration.

###

New Bond Policy Could Cut Jail Population by Half

Monday, September 18, 2017, Contact Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024 or kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org

On Day One of Cook County’s New Bail Order and Pretrial Division,
Anti-Mass Incarceration Activists Rally to Demand Effective Implementation

At 12:00 pm on Monday, September 18, at the Cook County Courthouse (2600 S. California) activists will hold a rally to demand effective implementation of Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans’ new general order that aims to significantly reduce the number of people incarcerated while awaiting trial. General Order 18.8A instructs judges to set monetary bonds only in amounts that people can pay, potentially eliminating incarceration due solely from inability to pay bond. Right now, more than 4,000 of the 7,500 people in Cook County Jail have been ordered released but remain in custody only because they lack access to the money needed to pay their bonds. Today, Judge Evans announced the names of judges that will serve in his new “Pretrial Division,” replacing all former bond court judges.

“We applaud Judge Evans’ order, but the devil is in the details of implementation and compliance by judges,” said Rev. Charles Straight, a leader with The People’ Lobby. “We will be watching to make sure judges in bond court follow the intended process and set money bonds only in amounts that people can actually afford to pay.”

“Crime and violence are real problems in many neighborhoods and suburbs, especially poor areas where residents are living with high unemployment and decades of disinvestment, but incarceration is not the solution. Jailing people before trial destroys lives and harms communities,” said John Powe, a leader with The People’ Lobby. “Instead, state and local government should invest in these communities, creating social services, good jobs and high-quality schools.”
Read more

Cook County’s $13 Minimum Wage a Huge Victory for Working People

Press Release — October 26, 2016

Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4024, kristi@thepeopleslobbyusa.org or Jacob Swenson-Lengyel, 312-316-3973, jacob.sl@peoplesaction.org

Cook County’s $13 Minimum Wage a Huge Victory –

Strong Step in the Long Journey Toward Income Equality

When fully enacted, the wage increase will put $10,000 more a year in workers’ pockets

CHICAGO – The movement to give minimum wage workers a raise continues gaining momentum across the country, with Cook County Commissioners in Illinois Wednesday voting decisively 13-3 in favor of a $13 minimum wage. Cook County is the second most populous county in the U.S. after Los Angeles County, California.

The minimum wage in Cook County is currently $8.25. The first increase — to $10 per hour — goes into effect on July1, 2017. Suburban workers will get another dollar per hour raise each July 1, culminating in a $13 minimum wage in 2020.

The Wednesday victory comes after more than a year of effort by The People’s Lobby, an affiliate of People’s Action Institute, pushing the Cook County Board of Commissioners to improve wages for workers. Research released yesterday by People’s Action Institute calculates the living wage in Cook County as $18.82 per hour – the wage a single worker needs to make ends meet.

Read more

Community Organizations Mount Unprecedented Voter Outreach Campaign to Elect Kim Foxx

For Immediate Release – March 15, 2016

Cook County Contact: Kristi Sanford, 773-456-4020 or thepeopleslobbyusa@gmail.com

National Contact: Jacob Swenson-Lengyel, 312-316-3973 or jacob@peoplesaction.org

Community Organizations Mount Unprecedented Voter Outreach Campaign to Elect Kim Foxx

Chicago, IL – Community organizations and a nurses union have waged an unprecedented field campaign in the Illinois Democratic Primary to elect Kim Foxx to be the next Cook County State’s Attorney.  Two grassroots organizations, The People’s Lobby and National People’s Action Campaign, knocked on doors and made phone calls to 110,000 voters in Chicago’s key south suburban region. In a separate partnership called Reclaim Chicago, The People’s Lobby and National People’s Action Campaign joined forces with National Nurses United to knock the doors and call the phones of an additional 90,000 voters from Arlington Heights to Chicago’s far south side to organize support for Foxx.

Read more