State Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, speaking at the Peoria Labor Temple on a recent campaign stop during his race for Illinois attorney general.

BY CLARE HOWARD

On a recent campaign stop at the Peoria Labor Temple, Illinois Sen. Kwame Raoul, a candidate in the crowded race for Illinois Attorney General, said an anti-worker agenda prevails in the governor’s office and much of the state Legislature.

Raoul, D-Chicago, was flanked by labor union leaders and Sen. Dave Koehler who announced his support for Raoul in the race for attorney general, filling the spot after Lisa Madigan leaves the post. Koehler said he and others in the Legislature look to Raoul for sound analysis on labor issues.

Raoul introduced a bill to establish a “Workplace Protection Unit” in the attorney general’s office that would pursue businesses that break labor law.

Matt Bartolo, with Laborers Local 165, said his union took up the cause of about 20 nonunion workers on a recent hotel renovation project in Peoria who were victims of wage theft. In some cases, the workers had not been paid for months.

Raoul said the new unit would focus on prevailing minimum wage, employment classification and wage theft. He characterized opposition to the new unit as support of wage theft.

“We have a governor and legislators who turn a blind eye to this,” he said. “In some cases, these (labor law) violations are slow walked (through the review process). We need to make sure the attorney general can go after these rogue contractors.”

Raoul said Gov. Bruce Rauner campaigned on undermining worker rights, and his “Turnaround Agenda” was anti-labor.

In response to a question about a ban on military assault weapons, Raoul expressed support for a ban but said it must be in conjunction with more, tighter gun regulations. Most of the crime in Chicago and other cities is committed with handguns, he said. He also proposes more assistance for trauma recovery services, a ban on bump stocks and more mental health behavioral interventions.

He was once a juvenile prosecutor, and saw firsthand the need for help in dealing with mental disability.

“I am the only candidate talking about the attorney general’s ability to direct resources” to targeted areas where the need is most critical, he said.

Raoul has a strong record on environmental protection. He is proposing legislation that would assist people living near sites that pollute air and water quality, such as the silica sand mining operations in LaSalle County.

See Community Word, January 2018, “Silica sand – in the air, water, lungs and frac drills: http://thecommunityword.com/online/blog/2018/01/01/silica-sand-in-the-air-water-lungs-and-frac-drills/

In a report on WTTW Chicago Tonight, Raoul said his proposed bill would amend the state’s Administrative Review Law to ensure residents are able to challenge permits issued by state regulators, including the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Pollution Control Board. His legislation would give residents legal standing to sue over environmental concerns such as air pollution, contaminated groundwater, offensive odors and more.

Currently, only “affected parties” have standing in such cases meaning that permits can be challenged only by the agencies that issue them or the companies that receive them.

The report on WTTW Chicago Tonight quoted Raoul at an environmental forum for attorney general candidates hosted by the Sierra Club saying, “Polluters unfortunately sometimes take advantage of the most vulnerable, and those individuals don’t have a right to action to hold those polluters accountable.”

In response to a question at the Peoria press conference, Raoul said he is a strong supporter of the Freedom of Information Act and as attorney general would enforce it rigorously.

For more information on Raoul’s positions, go to his website at:

https://kwameraoul.com/ontheissues/

League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria Candidate Forum on Feb. 17, 2018

For more information: IRENE PRITZKER, 309-692-3550, ipritzker@comcast.net

The League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria is sponsoring a candidate forum for the local contested races in Tazewell County on March 20 Primary Election ballots.

The event takes place from 10 am to noon on Saturday, February 17, at Washington High School in the multipurpose room, 115 Bondurant Street, Washington.

Candidates expected to attend with the offices they seek include:

Tazewell County Clerk: John Ackerman, Brett Grimm and Shelly Hranka. Tazewell County Sheriff: Jeffery Lower and Michael Eeten. Tazewell County Coroner: Scott Price, Steve Bresnahan and Charles Hanley. All will be on the Republican ballot.

The event is free, and the public is invited to attend, to meet the candidates and submit questions to the moderator.

The League is a non-partisan, issues oriented, volunteer, member-directed organization committed to open, responsive and effective government brought about by informed, involved citizens with membership open to both men and women in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. For more information, go to www.lwvgp.org.

BLACK TO THE FUTURE

TO HIT THE STAGE MARCH 2, 3 & 4      

Black To The Future, a play written and directed by Garry Moore, will be performed

March 2, 3 and 4 at Woodruff Career and Technical Center, 1800 NE Perry in Peoria.

March 2, 7:30pm

March 3, 7:30pm

March 4, 4pm

General Admission is $2.00

Black To The Future, A Journey into Peoria’s African American History, is based on

Dr. Romeo B. Garrett’s book, The Negro in Peoria. It follows two students, played by Justin Worley (Richwoods) and Cameron Walton (Peoria High) as they travel through time meeting historical figures, including Jean DuSable, Frederick Douglass, Moses Pettengill, Annie Malone, Dr. Maude Sanders, John Gwynn, Frank Campbell, and many others.

“Through the students’ journey, the audience can experience firsthand the struggles and triumphs of local African Americans over the course of history,” said Moore.

Black To The Future was first performed in 1992 as part of Peoria’s Tri Centennial Celebration. It was reprised in 2003.

“We’ve had to tweak it to freshen up the dialogue. The cool phrases young people say now are different than was the case in 1992. Also, we’ve added some characters–Gwynn, Campbell and Mark Clark are all new and we have some interactive media effects that will help us tell this important story,” Moore said.

Black To The Future is sponsored by WPNV 106.3FM and the Minority Business Development Center.

“We’ve gotten a ton of support from the community,” said Moore. “Peoria Public Schools, the Downstate African American Hall of Fame Museum, Bradley University Theater Department, Carver Center, Proctor Center, various businesses, and individuals too numerous to mention. We are very grateful. It’s going to be a great show!”

For more information, contact Garry Moore at 309-264-5763 or email at modrum1@aol.com.

Hundreds of thousands across the country and nearly 500 in East Peoria along the riverfront rallied to commemorate the anniversary of the women’s march on Washington, D.C. and to exhort women to weaponize their vote against Donald Trump. The events coincided with the government shutdown resulting from failed efforts to reach a budget agreement and to protest sexism and xenophobia. Important dates: Feb. 8 through March 19, early voting; March 20 primary election day; Sept. 27 through Nov. 5 early voting; Oct. 21 last day to register online; Nov. 6 GENERAL ELECTION DAY.

Contact: Brittany Miller Heart of Illinois NOW Phone 309/472-4964 now.bmiller@gmail.com

Area Groups to Host Women’s March to the Polls 2018

Women and Allies will gather on the Anniversary of the Historic Women’s March

East Peoria River Front Park, Saturday, January 20th , 12-1pm:

This weekend marks the one year anniversary of the Women’s March, when millions of people across the globe gathered in an act of nonviolent resistance. The past year has seen massive organization and resistance, and this year’s march aims to channel that energy into concrete results in the 2018 election.

All women and allies are encouraged to attend. Information will be available regarding election dates and Illinois voting rules. The rally will feature music by Sarah Marie Dillard of Sarah and the Underground and Jessica Wilson of Projekts. The following list of speakers with deliver inspiring messages on the themes of grassroots activism and voter mobilization.

• Jill Blair, Candidate for IL 88th

• Carolyn Blodgett, Candidate for IL 91st

• Chama St. Louis, Founder of Black Justice Project

• Bernice Gordon-Young, President of It Takes a Village Peoria, Inc.

• Carole Hoke, Fondulac United Church of Christ

• Nora Sullivan, Organizer of the Women’s March Peoria 2017

• Alecia Collins, Founder of Women Empowering Women

• Jimena Lopez, ACLU of Peoria

• Helen King and Jackie Petty, Peoria NAACP

• Jaci Musec, Captured and Reclaimed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                 CONTACT: Cheryl Budzinski

Jan. 5, 2018                                                                                                 (309) 253-9594

c_budzinski@hotmail.com

DISCOVER HOW A CITY-OWNED WATER SYSTEM CAN BE RUN BY A PRIVATE COMPANY

PEORIA — With experience at more than 8,500 water systems, Veolia can offer valuable advice about public/private partnerships to steward the most valuable resource in Central Illinois: water.

Veolia’s Suresh Jambunathan and Margaret M. “Peg” Becker will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. at Advanced Medical Transport, 1718 N. Sterling. Jambunathan is Director of Business Development for Commercial & Municipal Business for Veolia North American. Becker is Area Manager and Vice President of Operations with the Municipal and Commercial operations group of Veolia in the Central region.

Serving more than 550 communities in North America, Veolia treats more than 2.2 billion gallons of water and wastewater daily. Jambunathan and Becker will explain the ways such a public/private partnership is commonly set up, and answer questions submitted by the audience.

This session is one in a series of public education meetings hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria regarding the best use of water. The event is free and the public is invited.

After more than a year of study, the LWVGP voted unanimously in May 2017 to support the City of Peoria pursuing due diligence toward possible purchase of the water utility, which is currently operated by Illinois American Water Co.

A key question raised during public meetings was: How would the city run a water distribution system? One model is for the city to own the system and hire a company to run it. Veolia’s experience traces back to the first such partnership in 1853.

The League is a non-partisan, issues-oriented, volunteer, member-directed organization committed to open, responsive and effective government brought about by informed, involved citizens with membership open to both men and women in Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties. For more information, go to www.lwvgp.org.

Women’s March 2018: March to the Polls

Saturday, Jan. 20 12 PM – 1 PM

River Front Park

1201 Riverside Dr.

East Peoria, IL 61611

Local Contact:

Brittany Miller

now.bmiller@gmail.com

309-472-4964

We invite all citizens of central Illinois who believe in a country that is equitable, tolerant, just and safe for all, and one in which the human rights and dignity of each person is protected, to join us for a Women’s March in East Peoria. This event will be a nonviolent gathering of women, femmes, and allies to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March and to launch the 2018 #PowerToThePolls agenda. We’ve seen how powerful we are when we gather together, share space, and lift each other up. Join us as we prepare to take that power to the polls. Together, we will show this administration that women are not backing down. Gather under the blue pavilion at noon.

A Film Premiere for

Unity Productions Foundation’s new docudrama

“The Sultan and the Saint” 

Join us for the  Bradley University premiere

of UPF’s latest film on

Saturday, January 13th, 2017

at

Marty Theater, Student Center

Bradley University

915 N Elmwood Ave
Peoria, Il. 61606

6:00 PM

Free Admission

During the Crusades, Saint Francis of Assisi risked his life by walking across enemy lines to meet the Sultan of Egypt, the Muslim ruler Al-Malik Al-Kamil. This remarkable encounter, and the commitment to peace of the two men behind it, sucked the venom out of the Crusades and changed the relationship between Muslims and Christians for the better.

For more information, please contact:

Mir Ali
mirmali5200@gmail.com

Parents please note:

The film contains some scenes of violence and

may not be appropriate for children under 12. Please use your own discretion.