Lake County elected officials offer up their New Year’s resolutions – Chicago Tribune

With 2022 drawing to an in depth this weekend, elected officers in Lake County are making New 12 months’s resolutions for 2023 and 5 members of the Illinois Basic Meeting put an assault weapon ban on their want lists.

Mayors, state senators and representatives, a Lake County Board member and a member of the U.S. Congress representing elements of the county gave their 2023 New 12 months’s resolutions for the roles they’ll do for his or her constituents.

State Rep. Daniel Didech, D- Buffalo Grove, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, state Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield and state Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Lake Forest, all listed an assault weapons ban as one in every of their resolutions.

Morgan, who was on the Highland Park Fourth of July Parade when a gunman killed seven folks and wounded dozens extra firing an assault rifle, already launched laws and hopes to get it handed in a short time.

“In 2023, I’ll battle to go gun security laws so no different neighborhood experiences the trauma of the Highland Park mass taking pictures,” Morgan mentioned in a textual content. “I received’t give up till I get it achieved.”

“My New 12 months’s Decision is to ban assault weapons in Illinois,” Didech added in a textual content saying nothing extra.

Morrison, who was additionally on the Highland Park parade, made gun violence her high precedence taking the difficulty past assault weapons to incorporate using drones by police to reinforce security.

“I plan to proceed my work on gun violence, prevention and finish the sale of assault weapons,” Morrison mentioned. “I wish to permit our police departments to make use of drones to maintain us secure at massive public occasions.”

Johnson, who places gun violence first on her listing, additionally desires to give attention to tightening orders of safety to defend victims of home violence and create trauma-responsive therapeutic hubs for individuals who are unhoused and wish psychological well being sources.

“I plan to work on the passage of laws to deal with the proliferation of assault weapons and curbing gun violence together with mass shootings,” Johnson mentioned in a textual content. “We’ve had 57 mass shootings to-date (in Illinois). We’ve to do our half to avoid wasting lives.”

Mayfield places gun violence and the atmosphere on her listing of resolutions. Mayfield, Johnson and Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor pushed all through the previous 12 months for removing of the 2 coal ash ponds on the decommissioned NRG Waukegan Technology Station.

“I plan to work on coal ash removing, environmental coverage and an assault weapon ban,” Mayfield mentioned in a textual content.

Taylor mentioned in a textual content her high priorities for 2023 are the opening of the non permanent American Place on line casino adjoining to the Fountain Sq. purchasing heart, getting a metropolis supervisor for Waukegan and beginning town’s lead pipe alternative program.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham, Jr., mentioned he hopes 2023 brings the beginning of the lengthy awaited growth of the Sheridan Crossing challenge on the northwest nook of Sheridan Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Drive.

U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, might be new to Lake County when members of the 118th Congress take their oath of workplace Tuesday. He’ll characterize Lengthy Grove, Kildeer, Deer Park, the Barrington space and Lake Zurich.

As Quigley strikes into the minority, he mentioned in an e-mail he hopes to assist go “bipartisan laws that strikes our nation ahead regardless of a divided Congress.” He believes his rising seniority will assist his new constituents within the county.

“I may also be taking up as the best rating Democrat on the Transportation, Housing and City Growth Appropriations Subcommittee,” Quigley mentioned. “I plan to make use of that function to push federal {dollars} to our district as a lot as doable.”

Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart mentioned in a textual content she seems ahead to finishing the board’s strategic plan within the first quarter of 2023 which can “information the county’s priorities for the following few years.”

State Sen. Craig Wilcox, R-McHenry, who represents elements of northwest Lake County, mentioned he usually doesn’t make New 12 months’s resolutions. Since he’s representing new areas after the legislature redrew districts due to the 2020 census, he’s making an exception.

“We’ll direct outreach into Antioch, Cary and different new areas to Senate District 32 to study residents’ considerations and clarify the providers and alternatives our district workplace gives,” Wilcox mentioned in a textual content.

Trying ahead to becoming a member of the state legislature are state Sen.-elect Mary Edley-Allen, D Libertyville, state Rep.-elect Laura Faver Dias, D-Grayslake, and state Rep.-elect Nabeela Syed, D-Inverness. They too supplied their New 12 months’s resolutions.

Edley-Allen mentioned in a textual content she plans to fulfill with heads of the district’s municipalities within the first 4 weeks. She additionally lists environmental points, training, home violence and abuse in addition to marketing campaign regulation reform as high 2023 priorities.

“It’s necessary that we educate kids about meals ‘literacy’ together with composting, neighborhood gardens and recycling,” Edley-Allen mentioned. “It’s particularly necessary when they’re younger and studying habits to be made conscious of their impression on the atmosphere.”

Dias mentioned in a textual content she intends to introduce, “and hopefully go,” laws subsequent 12 months to guard shoppers, ladies, kids and the atmosphere.

“I could also be a freshman, however I’m setting the bar excessive as a result of our district deserves nothing much less,” Dias mentioned.

Syed, who personally mentioned she knocked on roughly 20,000 doorways throughout her election marketing campaign, plans to proceed her private contact strategy in 2023 as a consultant in Springfield.

“This 12 months, my New 12 months’s Decision is to interact constituents on the legislative aspect by persevering with to knock on their doorways and asking how I is usually a champion for them in Springfield,” Syed mentioned in a textual content.”