Move Over Mayor. Adios Aldermen. Regular Citizens Can Propose Laws In Chicago And We’ll Tell You How

Curious City

WBEZ Chicago

Society & Culture, Education, Public, Chicago, Arts, City, Radio, Curious, Investigation

4.8 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2023

⏱️ 16 minutes

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Summary

Brandon Johnson was just sworn in as Chicago’s new mayor. Johnson was known as a union and community organizer who believes average people should have more say in how their government works. Which is why we thought this story from 2021 about how any citizen can introduce new laws here in Chicago was the perfect pairing to inauguration week.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's Curious City's Adriana Cardona McGigad.
0:03.3	This week, Brandon Johnson took the oath and officially became the mayor of Chicago.
0:08.6	I, Brandon Johnson, do solemnly swear.
0:13.9	Johnson is also well-known in activism circles for his community and labor organizing.
0:20.0	He's very much a power to the people kind of guy,
0:23.6	which is why it feels like the perfect time to roll out this story with it a few years ago.
0:29.7	In Chicago, citizens can introduce legislation into city council. That's curious citizen Matt Owens.
0:37.2	He's a civil rights attorney and community
0:39.5	organized in Chicago. A while back, he was working on police reform. And when he was ready
0:46.0	to share a proposal with council members, Matt went onto the city clerk's website to get
0:52.0	the lay of the land, you know, figure out what comes next in the legislative process.
0:57.8	And I came across language indicating that citizens could introduce legislation into city council.
1:04.5	And I'm a bit of a civic engagement nerd, so I found the idea pretty interesting.
1:13.6	Matt's right.
1:15.1	Regular citizens like Matt or me or you can actually come up with new laws.
1:21.8	Sort of.
1:23.1	There's not really a concrete procedure.
1:25.8	It's probably more of a phantom right than an actual right.
1:29.3	A phantom right?
1:31.0	What exactly does that mean?
1:33.8	Can an average person in Chicago propose and get a law passed or not?
1:39.0	And if so...
	...

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