June 28, 2023
In this Issue: ● Highland Park: A Note From the Chair One Year Later ● Governor Pritzker Signs Important Legislation ● Duckworth Joins Senate Democratic Women to Announce Floor Action on Commonsense Bills to Protect Women’s Fundamental Freedoms ● A Democratic Intern’s View: Congressman Brad Schneider’s Congress on Your Corner Event in Antioch ● A Great Way to Get Involved—Become a Deputy Voter Registrar ● Lake Dems Were Busy Attending Events Around Lake County ● Volunteer Spotlight ● ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) ● Upcoming Events
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Highland Park: A Note From the Chair One Year Later
Dear Friends,
As another July 4th approaches, our thoughts inevitably turn to what we lost a year ago. While multi-generational families from various Lake County communities lined the streets in Highland Park on a beautiful Fourth of July to watch a parade and celebrate our nation, a single gunman murdered seven, injured many dozens more, and shattered the lives of countless others.
Now, one year later, our pain has not subsided. Our hearts ache for a child who will grow up without parents, for those who are permanently physically injured, and for those whose emotional wounds will never fully heal. We’re grateful that our legislature passed and our governor signed into law an assault weapons ban that will make another such event in our state far less likely, but we’re at a loss to understand why similar measures to ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines haven’t been enacted nationwide.
Next week, we celebrate the Fourth of July with barbeques, parades, and fireworks, and many of us will participate in a solemn remembrance ceremony and community walk in Highland Park.
Let’s renew our determination to continue working to reduce gun violence. Let’s work to elect Democrats who have the wisdom to prioritize our right to be safer when we shop, attend school, and gather for celebrations in our communities.
Lake Dems Chair, Lauren Beth Gash
This is what I posted on July 4th last year:
The mass shooting at the Highland Park, Illinois parade today was just so awful…
Click here to read more.
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Governor Pritzker Signs Vital Legislation
Governor Pritzker has signed many of the bills the legislature passed this term, covering a wide range of provisions to make Illinois healthier, freer, and safer.
As of January 1, 2024 health insurers are required to cover several more devices and tests including prescription compression sleeves, Pap smears, cervical cancer screening and prostate cancer screenings, and preventable liver disease screenings for those aged 35-60. This will save lives by preventing deadly blood clots, catching cancer and liver disease earlier, and making such screenings more accessible and less expensive.
Our civil liberties have been further protected by bills signed into law this year. An object hanging from the rearview mirror can no longer be used as an excuse to stop a driver and or search a vehicle. It is now a misdemeanor offense to obstruct, impede or otherwise interfere with a picket line, allowing striking workers to safely demonstrate. And book banning has suffered a serious blow due to the signing of a bill that allows for state money to be withheld from libraries if they ban books for political reasons.
In the coming days, Governor Pritzker is expected to sign legislation that will allow both the Attorney General and gun violence victims to sue gun manufacturers for deceptive marketing practices. This is part of an important strategy that states can implement to work around the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a 2005 federal law that provides broad immunity from many lawsuits to the gun industry. Click here to read more about the PLCAA.
Thank you to our many legislators and the Governor for making Illinois a better place to live.
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Duckworth Joins Senate Democratic Women to Announce Floor Action on Commonsense Bills to Protect Women’s Fundamental Freedoms
Last week, near the anniversary of the Dobbs decision restricting people’s rights to reproductive health care, Senate Democrats introduced four commonsense bills to protect our fundamental freedoms. Those pieces of legislation are:
- Right to Contraception Act (S.1999), which would enshrine into law the right to use birth control—which is under threat after Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the Supreme Court should reconsider its ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut.
- Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act (S.2053), which would ensure women can freely travel for health care after Republican state legislatures have banned, and threatened to ban, women’s fundamental right to travel out of state to receive healthcare, including abortion care.
- Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act (S.1297), which would ensure doctors can continue to safely provide legal abortion care and protect health care providers from being held liable for providing services to patients from other states.
- Upholding Protections for Health and Online Location Data (UPHOLD) Privacy Act (S.631), which would protect people’s online health and location data so that it cannot be used against them, including to identify people seeking reproductive healthcare services.
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A Democratic Intern’s View: Congressman Brad Schneider’s Congress on Your Corner Event in Antioch
On June 24th, Congressman Brad Schneider hosted a town hall forum at the Antioch Senior Center to discuss topical issues with the community. The conversation covered affordable health care, gun violence prevention, Social Security, and more. Congressman Schneider also spoke about rebuilding public confidence in the government citing recently passed laws that have benefited the nation.
Read what Democratic Intern Lindsey Apple had to say about the event by clicking here.
Pictured with Congressman Brad Schneider are Democratic Intern Lindsey Apple and Lake Dems Operations Manager Justin Pedersen.
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A Great Way to Get Involved—Become a Deputy Voter Registrar
Looking for a great way to get involved? Become a Deputy Voter Registrar and help people register to vote anywhere in Illinois!
The next Deputy Voter Registrar training session will be held July 10, 2023 at 3pm in Waukegan and is open only to Lake County residents who are interested in helping register new voters. Participants must be at least 18 years of age and registered to vote in Lake County.
Deputy Registrars must be trained in the county where they live, but once trained, can register voters in any county in Illinois. Training takes about an hour and is offered by the Lake County Clerk’s office free of charge. Sign-ups will be taken up to 24 hours before the class begins. Late sign-ups may or may not be added to the class. Click here to register online. If you’d like to help plan and organize Lake Dems’ voter registration efforts, contact us at info@lakedems.org.
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Lake Dems Were Busy Attending Events Around Lake County
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| Wauconda Township Dems host their first in-person meeting since their founding during COVID in 2020! | |
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| Laura Faver Dias for State Representative hosted a Summer Celebration fundraiser. Pictured above are Chelsea Laliberté Barnes, Holly Kim, Laura Faver Dias, Lauren Beth Gash, and Jackie Cunningham. Also pictured with Representative Faver Dias are Democratic interns who helped with the event. | |
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Grayslake Library Trustee Alpana Sahu, Lake Dems Vice Chair Nancy Shepherdson, and Democratic interns attended our Democrats Defending Democracy event. You can still donate to our efforts to defend democracy. lakedems.org/democracy/ |
Volunteer Spotlight
Lake Dems is grateful for our many active volunteers. Click here if you’re interested in helping.
Drew Spiegel has served as a local Democratic intern and is now a Lake Dems volunteer and Precinct Committeeperson in West Deerfield Township! He canvasses, helps out in the office, staffs events, and helps oversee intern assignments. We are so thankful for all he does for Democrats.
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ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
Supreme Court Rejects Legal Theory That Could Have Thrown 2024 Election Into Disarray
The Fine Print of Illinois’ Ban on Book Bans
Tom Hanks Delivers the Harvard Commencement Address 2023
Worth a look for the sentiments expressed about truth, justice, and the rule of law.
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Upcoming Events
WEDNESDAY, JUN. 28
Personal PAC NextGen Pro-Choice Reception with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07). 5:30pm, Chicago. More.
[POSTPONED] llinois State Sen. Mary Edly-Allen Summer Fundraiser. 6pm, Grayslake. More.
THURSDAY, JUN. 29
March For Our Lives Rally to Support the Protect Illinois Communities Act. 9:30am, Chicago. More.
Summer Fundraising Luncheon for Sen. Adriane Johnson, Rep. Daniel Didech and Rep. Rita Mayfield. 12 noon, Waukegan. More.
FRIDAY, JUN. 30
Pre-Release Screening of Film “1 Angry Man” 6:30pm, Chicago. More.
SUNDAY, JUL. 02
Join Lake Dems at the Waukegan American Independence Parade. Gather by 12:30pm, step off at 1:00pm, Waukegan. More.
Join Fremont Dems and Lake Dems at the July 2nd Mundelein Parade. Line up at 1:30pm, step off at 2pm, Mundelein. More.
WEDNESDAY, JUL. 04
Walk with Lake Dems in the Vernon Hills 4th of July Parade. Gather by 8:30am; step off at 9:00am, Vernon Hills. More.
Walk with Ela Dems and Lake Dems in the Hawthorn Woods Parade on July 4th. Gather by 9:30am; step off at 10:00am, Hawthorn Woods. More.
Walk with Lake Dems and Wauconda Township Dems in the Island Lake 4th of July Parade. Gather by 9:30am, step off at 10am, Island Lake. More.
Walk with Lake Dems and Antioch Dems in the 4th of July Parade. 10:30am, Antioch. More.
Highland Park Community Walk. 11am, Highland Park. More.
For the complete list of Upcoming Events, go to lakedems.org/events.
Click here to submit your event for consideration.
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How Do I Join Lake County Democrats?
Lake County Democrats is made up of people like you, people who are passionate about building better communities and a better world. We’re a grassroots political organization, working with Democrats in all parts of Lake County – from Antioch to Highland Park, Libertyville to Waukegan, Barrington to Zion. Become a member online now, (individual: $35/couples $60 – though more is always appreciated), or send a check payable to Lake County Democrats to P.O. Box 671, Lake Zurich, IL 60047. Questions? Contact info@lakedems.org.
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