Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee Meeting - April 15, 2026

The Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Cook County Board met on April 15, 2026, at 5:30 PM UTC. The committee considered several resolutions, heard public testimony on education vouchers and climate accountability, and voted on multiple items. Remote participation was granted, and one commissioner was absent for part of the meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Item 261153: Approval of the minutes from the March 11, 2026 meeting. Passed by unanimous voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tywan Sims: Raised concerns about personal legal cases involving orders of protection, false arrests, and parental rights violations at the Cook County courthouse. He stated he has received no remedy from oversight committees and requested help.
• George Blakemore: Criticized the board as "not good public servants" and accused them of serving the Democratic machine. He said the board’s unanimous votes are suspect and called the meeting a "dog and pony show."
• Joshua Bandok (Illinois Policy Institute): Expressed support for resolution 260974 (federal scholarship tax credit). He argued the program would bring hundreds of millions of dollars to Cook County public schools for tutoring, SAT prep, after-school programs, and special education. He noted that 28 states have opted into the program and that Illinois residents can already give to other states.
• Cassie Cresswell (Illinois Families for Public Schools): Urged a no vote on resolution 260974, calling it a voucher program that would harm public schools. She stated that private schools discriminate against students with disabilities, English learners, and LGBTQ+ students, and that vouchers divert tax dollars without accountability. She cited a study from Arizona showing the wealthiest quartile received five times more money.
• Pamela Tate (Climate Reality Chicago Metro): Spoke in strong support of resolutions 260978 and 260977, urging Congress to reject legal immunity for fossil fuel companies and to pass the Climate Change Superfund Act. She argued that the fossil fuel industry lied about climate science for decades and should be held accountable.
• Rev. Brian Sauter (Faith and Place): Supported resolutions 260977 and 260978, stating that "if you cause the harm, you should pay for the repair." He cited increases in extreme precipitation (40% since early 20th century) and annual flood losses averaging $260 million in Illinois.
• Senator Guzman (virtual): Supported resolutions 260977 and 260978, noting that climate change causes flooded homes, damaged infrastructure, and rising costs for local governments. She introduced the Climate Change Superfund Act in the state senate.
• Lisa Copper (virtual) and Stacey Silver (virtual): Opposed resolution 260974. Stacey Silver shared personal experiences at a private school that received vouchers, including false accusations and lack of due process. She said her children thrived after moving to public schools.
• Charlotte Sanders (virtual): Opposed resolution 260974, stating that public education is under attack and that charter schools already robbed public schools of funding. She asked if commissioners would send their own children to underfunded schools.
• Robert Bartlett: Opposed resolution 260974, citing disparities in school funding. He stated that his district spends $10,500 per student while richer districts spend nearly $15,000, leading to larger class sizes and reduced course offerings.
• Margot Murphy (retired CPS teacher): Opposed resolution 260974, describing how charter schools took money from public schools then kicked students back without providing materials. She cited a Morrison Institute study showing no significant improvement from voucher programs.
• Patricia Bowton: Opposed resolution 260974, tracing vouchers back to the 1950s when they were used to maintain segregation. She said Illinois has a history of discriminating against minority students and called for fully funding public schools.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 260974 (Federal Scholarship Tax Credit): Chairman Daly deferred the item, stating there would be no vote taken today. All public comments on this item were heard before the deferral.
• Bundled Resolutions 260977, 260978, 260979: Vice Chair Degnan moved to withdraw his initial motion and bundle the three items together. The committee granted leave. The bundled motion passed with a roll call.
  • Item 260977: Resolution urging passage of the Climate Change Superfund Act (state legislation).
  • Item 260978: Resolution urging Congress to reject legal immunity for fossil fuel companies.
  • Item 260979: Resolution urging passage of the Disposable Food Service Container Act (state ban on polystyrene).
  • Commissioner Degnan explained the rationale: home insurance costs in Illinois rose 50% from 2021–2024, insured losses from natural catastrophes increased from $15 billion to ~$100 billion annually, and fossil fuel companies are responsible for $28 trillion in global climate damage. He argued for accountability.
  • Several commissioners spoke in support: Commissioner Miller (noted disproportionate impact on communities of color), Dr. Trevor (economic externalities and need for level playing field), Commissioner Aguilar (flooding devastation and insurance costs), Commissioner McCaskill (impact on communities like Dolton with landfills), Commissioner Lowry (rising cancer rates linked to environment), and Commissioner Stamps (personal flood experience and need for community education).

Key Outcomes

• Item 261153 (Minutes of March 11, 2026): Approved by voice vote.
• Items 260977, 260978, 260979 (Climate resolutions and polystyrene ban): Approved by roll call vote: 13 ayes, 4 absent (Commissioners Gaynor, Moore, Marita, Sean Morrison). Commissioners Gainer, Kevin Morrison, and others were absent at times. Motion passed.
• Item 260974 (Federal scholarship tax credit): Deferred by voice vote, no vote taken on the resolution.
• The meeting adjourned after a motion by Chairman Daly.