In the battle over MLK, the bad guys are winning Page 2
Illinois proposal calls for expanding vote-by-mail
JANUARY 17, 2024
Vol. IX No. 3
vfpress.news
Broadview gets a new fire chief Page 6
State rep. proposes measure that would allow all-mail elections in some areas By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois
URBANA – As the 2024 election season draws near, voters in Illinois will once again choose whether they want to cast their ballots in person or by mail. But one lawmaker is proposing a bill in the Illinois House that could make that decision a lot easier, making voting by mail the default option for people in counties and cities that choose to go that route. State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, said voting by mail has been shown to be a more convenient and efficient way of running elections. “Vote-by-mail has been proven by way of court order, as well as people’s utilization of vote-by-mail – I vote by mail – that it has been safe,” she said during an interview. “There have been no problems. I have not missed a single election. And people who use it increase their voter participation.” Voting by mail, often referred to as absentee voting, was originally intended for people who planned to be away from home on Election Day, particularly military personnel, as well as college students and people whose jobs required them to travel. That often required voters to ask their state or local election official for an absentee ballot and, See VOTE BY MAIL on page 4
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Migrants in tents outside of the 15th District police station in Chicago’s Austin community in October. The migrants have since been moved, but now suburbs are regulating unscheduled buses that are dropping migrants off at points outside of the city.
Proviso suburbs move to regulate unscheduled buses as migrant crisis enters harsh winter As buses from border states keep making unscheduled drop-offs of migrants, mayors respond with threats of fines, penalties and even criminal charges By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
Suburbs across Proviso Township have recently enacted legislation to address the wave of buses carrying migrants to various points across the Chicago area and burdening resource-strapped municipalities. The villages of Bellwood, Broadview,
Hillside and Westchester are among the municipalities whose boards have voted on ordinances or whose mayors have issued executive orders since December designed to introduce fines, penalties and restrictions for buses illegally dropping off passengers. “The primary aim is to safeguard the health and safety of both residents and bus occupants,” Hillside village officials ex-
plained in a statement posted to the village’s website on Dec. 29. “The Village lacks the resources to adequately support these migrants,” Hillside officials added. “Collaborative efforts with Local, State, County, and regional authorities are underway to address these concerns.” See MIGRANTS on page 3