SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and members of the House Democratic leadership team will address the media Wednesday to discuss work ahead during the fall session against the backdrop of unprecedented federal overreach affecting communities across Illinois.

Welch and members will hold a media availability at 11:45 a.m. outside of the Speaker’s Capitol Officer (Room 300), before proceeding to the floor for session.

Who:          House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch
Members of the House Democratic Leadership Team

What:         Session Update

When:        Wednesday, Oct. 15
11:45 a.m.

Where:       Outside of the Speaker’s Office
Capitol Room 300
Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch released the following statement Friday after the Illinois Supreme Court upheld House Democrats’ law banning the sale of assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, and rapid-fire modifications:

“The Supreme Court’s ruling upholds the legislature’s commitment to value the lives of our children over guns. This ruling makes it clear that the safety of our cities, our suburbs, and our small towns is not subject to the veto of the gun lobby. Such statements should not be profound or controversial, but in a time when the specter of gun violence looms over every aspect of our lives and preventable tragedies are seemingly a daily occurrence in communities small and large across the country, this ruling in favor of commonsense gun safety is monumental.

“I want to thank Representative Bob Morgan and Representative Maura Hirschauer, who championed this legislation, along with all the members of the Firearm Safety Working Group who dedicated so much time to meeting with stakeholders, studying efforts undertaken in other states, and utilizing that insight to create one of the nation’s strongest gun safety laws.

“We know there is more work to be done. We know no single law can make up for decades of Washington politicians allowing federal regulation to wither and neighboring states refusing even the most reasonable measures to address unregulated gun sales. Our commitment to value innocent lives calls on us to continue the work to get guns out of the wrong hands, to expand access to mental health treatment, and to invest in community-based approaches to violence prevention. I encourage our Republican colleagues to join in these efforts as partners, rather than litigants.”

CHICAGO – The Illinois Legislative House Black Caucus issued this statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision blocking efforts to expand equity and opportunity in college admissions:

“Our radical Supreme Court’s tragic decision to sever equitable opportunities and curtail human rights for countless Black Americans will exact a devastating toll on our communities. Opportunities for higher education, which were growing thanks to effective affirmative admissions policies, will once again be denied to Black students who have often had to overcome major obstacles to achieve academic excellence.

“This move serves only to meet a partisan agenda while propping up a deeply-racist power structure that has haunted the Black community for generations. Affirmative action was undertaken to overcome the lingering effects of slavery and Jim Crow policies and provide the promise of opportunity to Black children suffering under those effects. Now that promise has been broken.

“The Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus is eager to work with Governor Pritzker to take immediate action to continue expanding access to college education for all, and to continue pursuing equity-based reforms. Recent steps to substantially expand MAP grants and other education programs that benefit the Black community are a good start.  All students deserve better than a Supreme Court that embraces fundamentalism over fairness and acts consistently to preserve a system of oppression. Illinois will take every step we can to combat the racial injustice the court favors.”

CHICAGO – Lawmakers working to create districts for Chicago’s new elected, representative school board will hold a series of public hearings offering residents the opportunity to share their thoughts on how the districts should be configured.

In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation creating an elected, representative school board to oversee the Chicago Public Schools. In 2024, Chicago voters will elect ten board members, who will serve alongside 11 mayoral appointees. In 2026, the 11 appointed members will be replaced by elected board members, creating an entirely elected board. Once fully implemented, 20 board members will represent districts across the city, with one member being elected citywide.

Chicago residents are welcome to share their thoughts on how these new board districts should be configured at any of the following virtual or in-person hearings:

Monday, April 24 at 1 p.m.
Fully virtual hearing

Saturday, April 29 at noon
Kenwood Academy High School – Auditorium
5015 S Blackstone Ave., Chicago
In-person only

Monday, May 1 at 6 p.m.
Lane Tech College Prep High School – Auditorium
2501 W Addison St., Chicago
In-person only

Friday, May 5 at 1 p.m.
Fully virtual hearing

Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m.
Curie High School – Auditorium
4959 S Archer Ave., Chicago
In-person only

Individuals or groups interested in testifying should contact
RedistrictingCommittee@hds.ilga.gov. Please include the date of the hearing you wish to attend, and a brief description of the testimony you wish to share. Witnesses will then be emailed a link.

Written testimony can also be shared with legislators at any time by emailing RedistrictingCommittee@hds.ilga.gov.
Those interested in viewing virtual hearings can stream at ilga.gov.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — In response to the release of police body camera footage showing the killing of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five Memphis officers, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) released the following statement:

“The release of police body camera footage makes clear what we already knew: the murder of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols was brutal and unjustified. Our deepest condolences are with his family and all those who knew and loved him. The police officers who beat this young man to death have no place in law enforcement, and were rightly dismissed. Still, this is not enough. These officers callously and viciously killed another human being and Mr. Nichols’ family deserves justice.

“For the people who are angry, for the people who are sick of living in fear, we will always stand with you in the fight for justice. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken in Illinois, including passing major criminal justice reforms as part of our four-pillar agenda two years ago, but there is still much more work to do.”

CHICAGO – At the invitation of New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will travel to Albany to visit the State Assembly on Tuesday, May 24.   

“I truly enjoyed welcoming Speaker Heastie to the Illinois State Capitol earlier this year, and I’m eager for my first trip to Albany to get a better understanding of how the New York State Assembly functions,” said Speaker Welch. “With recent events, it’s more important than ever that Democratic states work together to uphold the values of this nation. I look forward to this opportunity for collaboration and to learn from our shared experiences.”

After the recent tragedy in Buffalo and as states work to build a force field around women’s reproductive health, Speaker Welch hopes to learn more about New York’s efforts to protect its citizens.

Speaker Heastie and Speaker Welch are both the first Black people to preside over their respective chambers. They’ve both helped to usher in historic criminal justice reforms, championed initiatives for adequate and equitable funding of public schools, and have led efforts to make their states more welcoming for immigrants.

“It is a pleasure to have my friend and counterpart from Illinois, Speaker Welch, come to the People’s House here in Albany,” New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said. “In March of this year I was lucky enough to visit the Illinois House of Representatives as their first guest in two years. Both Speaker Welch and I have the honor of being the first Black speakers of our respective chambers, and visits like these are an incredible opportunity to discuss our experiences in leading diverse caucuses within our states and to learn from one another.”

During his visit to the New York State Capitol, Speaker Welch will meet with the Majority Conference, as well as the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus prior to delivering remarks to the entire chamber.

Accompanying Speaker Welch on this trip will be Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Co-Chair Kambium Buckner, Assistant Majority Leader Marcus Evans and Press Spokesperson Jaclyn Driscoll. The group will arrive in New York Monday evening and will depart on Wednesday. No state dollars were used to pay for this trip.