The Chicago Humanities Fall Festival is here, and with it five crucial conversations on climate. Let’s learn!

This month, Chicago in Focus welcomed experts to discuss the current situation of asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping. Watch the recording!

We are happy to put an end to a system that let out serious offenders with access to bond funds but incarcerated low-level offenders with no such access.

We’ve just been through a crazy summer of heat domes, atmospheric rivers and smoke polluting the air we breathe. What are the most impactful ways for individuals to reduce their carbon emissions?

Chicago Public School students will begin the new school year just as new members of the Chicago Board of Education begin their terms of office. Appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, six new board members’ terms began on July 18.

At a recent City Council Committee meeting, three of the five items on the agenda were “Direct Introduction” items, whose texts were not available to the public until after the Committee and then the Council voted on them, using the Rule 41 loophole to bypass the normal process.

Governor Pritzker has signed several bills that the Illinois League and its members supported, including changes to election law in support of voting rights.

We’ve heard from the scientists, journalists and activists, but what about the artists? Art centered on climate issues has been a missing piece of the conversation, but the Chicago Design Museum has such an exhibit through October 30.

We did it! SB0058, which bans the purchasing and distribution of polystyrene foam foodware in all state facilities and agencies AND requires state agencies to track and implement goals to reduce single-use plastic disposable foodware, was signed into law by Governor Pritzker on August 4.

Iris Martinez was elected in November 2020 as Cook County Clerk of the Circuit Court. She is the first Latina to hold that office in the second-largest court system in the country. At a reason LWV Cook County fundraiser, Clerk Martinez remarked on the changes which have been made during her tenure.

After a historic decision by the Illinois Supreme Court, Illinois is the first state to eliminate cash bail as part of a landmark criminal justice reform law. Among the SAFE-T Act’s champions were Governor J.B. Pritzker and groups like the League of Women Voters.

After a successful effort to change City Council Rules in March, the new Council changed the Rules again in May, once again allowing Direct Introduction Items. The League is back at it, working to increase government transparency and allow for public input.

Hey, environmentalists—we’ve got ideas for a fun summer outing and the perfect beach read!

Since 1981, this award has been presented to a member who has demonstrated extraordinary long-term dedication and effectiveness in League work.

LWV Chicago’s 2023 Annual Meeting served as a forum to acknowledge both outgoing and incoming Board members, approve existing bylaws and a budget for 2023-2024, and to present the annual Greensfelder-Elam Award. Check out the highlights!

For more than a century, the League has been a bulwark of democracy, and over the past year, we continued to honor that tradition. Through voter education, community outreach, and policy initiatives, we have empowered the people of Chicago to participate actively in the democratic process.

If you haven’t visited one of your Police District Council meetings, it’s about time! Residents report they’re well-run, business-like, and informative—the keys to building strong relationships.

Trees provide many benefits to a city like Chicago—what can you do to preserve and grow our city’s tree canopy?

Delegates representing local Leagues statewide attended the League of Women Voters of Illinois’ Convention to make decisions that affect our mission and maximize our impact throughout the state.

LWV Chicago membership is recommended to adopt a position at the Annual Meeting on June 24 in support of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for municipal elections in the City of Chicago.