Bellwood native helps lead fenwick’s diveristy push PAGE 3
After outcry, Pritzker pivots on cannabis licenses Some still have concerns over veteran ownership requirements
Vol. IV No. 40
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
theVillageFreePress.org
See Riveredge’s suicide awareness guide, PAGES 6-7
GET COUNTED: U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia was in Melrose Park on Sept. 26 to urge Latinx residents in Proviso Township to get counted. Melrose Park has among the lowest response rates in the township.
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinois
Gov. JB Pritzker announced changes to the licensing process for marijuana dispensaries on Sept. 21 after weeks of criticism from activists, lawmakers and applicants who were initially denied for the first round of 75 licenses. Now, failed applicants will have an opportunity to amend their applications and receive more information as to why they were denied points in the scoring process. In a news release on Sept. 21, Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said they came to the decision after a “careful examination” based on “feedback from community leaders and stakeholders.” The change allows denied applicants to resubmit their applications or have them rescored after receiving a “supplemental deficiency notice” that tells them which specific portions of their application lost points and prevented them from reaching the 252-point perfect score needed to enter the lottery to distribute licenses. Those receiving a perfect score after this process takes place would be added to the lottery for the first 75 licenses. An applicant may not, however, change the owners or makeup of its ownership group on resubmitted applications. Officials said the process allowing for rescoring could be wrapped up “this fall.” The announcement of changes comes after just 21 of more than 900 applicants received perfect scores in the first round of grading by an outside company. That See CANNABIS on page 4
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Community leaders urge residents to complete census
In Melrose Park, Congressman Chuy Garcia, nonprofit leaders tell Latinx residents to put fears aside By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor
A federal court order issued Sept. 24 may have forced the Trump administration to continue counting residents through Oct. 31, but local community leaders are sticking to the shortened deadline of Sept. 30 that the administration set in July. “We have four days left to be counted,” said Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (4th) during a press conference held Sept. 26 at Faye Park, at the corner of 19th Avenue and Lake Street in Melrose Park. The press conference was held in collaboration with the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, a faithbased social justice nonprofit based in
Maywood. “It’s possible that that can get extended until Oct. 31, but we have to assume that the Trump administration will seek to appeal and ignore the federal court decision, because of the history of lawlessness on the part of this administration,” said Garcia, whose district includes parts of Proviso Township, including Melrose Park. “So we should assume we have four days left.” Justice Department officials, in fact, filed a notice on Sept. 25 indicating that they plan to appeal the court order. According to an NPR report, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh — who issued the preliminary injunction requiring the Census Bureau to stick to an Oct. 31 deadline — “found that the administration’s
truncated census schedule is likely to produce inaccurate numbers about historically undercounted groups, including people of color and immigrants.” According to Census Bureau data, Maywood, Melrose Park and Stone Park —communities that have large Latinx populations — have the lowest census response rates in Proviso Township. As of Sept. 24, those three communities had response rates of 63 percent, 62 percent and 65 percent, respectively. Garcia said that Black and Latinx communities are particularly vulnerable to being undercounted, given how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected them. See CENSUS on page 5