Chicago Politics

Executive Order Signing 6.25.26

Legislation

Description

Mayor Brandon Johnson Executive Order Signing.

Transcript

0:01 Good morning, everyone. Good morning. And I just want to thank you all for being here today. And before I offer up my remarks, this is the people's room. So we are going to make space for the people. I remember an incredible interaction that I had with Chairman Daley. He described a room being packed like this. And he was a teenager.

0:32 and through those doors right behind those cameras, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came in this very room and believing one day that this room would be secure for the people. It looks like dreams really do come true. So first, we're going to make room for God to be amongst us.

1:02 There's more than two or three. So I'm going to turn it over to Reverend Thurston. And he's going to pray. And then you're going to hear from the Reverend Sierra Bates Chamberlain, Live Free, Illinois. Then you'll hear from Miss Liana Peterson. And then after the people speak, I have something to say, too. Reverend Thurston, let's do it. God, we honor you. We're mindful of your mercy and grateful for your grace.

1:33 We thank you for the sacrifice and the labor of all who stand here who do the work in the streets and in the trenches to better the lives of the people in this city. We thank you for the political will to make this step forward to create this office. Bless our efforts to continue to find favor over this city as we seek to become the best freaking city in the world. What? Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I think there's there's something special when you petition the Lord with the word freaking.

2:12 Good morning, everyone. Good morning. I'm Reverend Sierra Bates Chamberlain. I'm the executive director of Lear Free Illinois. And today is a historic day for years. Live Free Illinois, the Chicago Faith Coalition, and countless community partners have fought for this moment. Our advocacy began during Mayor Emanuel's administration. There were nearly 800 homicides, and we grew tired of gathering and visuals, holding press conferences, and saying enough is enough. And we believe then, and we still believe today, that if we truly want different

2:47 outcomes, our words must be matched by our actions. That is why we never stopped fighting. What was once considered a bold idea is now a national best practice. Cities across this country understand that reducing gun violence requires more than programs. It requires permanent infrastructure, accountability, coordination, and long-term investment. For too long, the responsibility of reducing gun violence has spread across multiple offices whose responsibility

3:19 extends far beyond crisis. Chicago deserves better. We deserve a department whose sole mission is to reduce shootings, prevent homicides, support survivors, coordinate violence intervention efforts, and build safer communities. Chicago is the greatest city in the world, but for far too many neighborhoods, the shadow of gun violence has lingered for generations. It is time for our infrastructure to reflect the urgency of this crisis. People are asking, can we afford this?

3:56 And my response is simple. You cannot put a price tag on life, but you can certainly put a price tag on death. Violence has cost Chicago priceless lives, shattered families, weakened neighborhoods, driven away businesses, and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Morally and economically, it makes for more sense to fund peace than continuing to pay for violence.

4:27 And this is not about creating more government. It's about creating better government. It's about bringing together existing resources, personnel, funding, and strategy under one department that can lead with focus, transparency, efficiency, and accountability. When we talk about investing in life-saving strategies, some say we can't afford it. But I'm arguing today that what we can't afford is becoming morally bankrupt.

5:00 ...the cost of saving lives while accepting the cost of burying them. Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city of Chicago have chosen to move this city in the right direction. Recognizes the urgency of saving black and brown lives that puts us on the path toward establishing a permanent Department of Gun Violence Reduction through ordinance.

5:32 and that declares peace deserves more than speeches, peace deserves structure, peace deserves investment, peace deserves permanence, and every community deserves peace regardless of our zip codes. This is more than a policy victory. This is a victory for every mother and father praying that their children make it home. I see the disruptor who puts their lives on the line, every survivor who refused to give up on this city.

6:03 today belongs to the peacemakers and we celebrate now but once we leave these doors we'll continue to work again mayor brandon johnson we want to thank deputy mayor emmanuel andre and the entire team for making this happen thank you so much and let's keep on fighting for the people all right good morning i'm good morning good morning i'm liana daly a youth development

6:45 coach from hug a child make a change and i first want to thank mayor brandon johnson for his leadership and for recognizing that reducing gun violence requires more than responding after tragedy it requires building the systems that can prevent it i also want to thank live free illinois for its unwavering leadership for years live free and so many survivors faith leaders and community violence intervention organizations have fought for a permanent coordinated approach to violence reduction. Today's executive order reflects years of advocacy

7:18 from people who refuse to accept that gun violence is inevitable and who challenge the city to build the infrastructure needed to save lives. As a survivor of gun violence, I know that behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community whose life has been forever changed. The trauma doesn't end when the headlines fade. It stays with us and too often survivors are left to navigate that pain alone. That's why today's executive order matters.

7:48 For years, people closet to this work have been asking not only for better coordination across government, but also for a meaningful seat at the table. This executive order delivers both. By creating an interagency gun violence reduction cabinet, the city is bringing leaders from across government together to coordinate investments, share information, solve problems together, and stay accountable for results. Violence doesn't fit neatly within one department, so our response shouldn't either.

8:18 Just as importantly, the executive order creates the Mayor's Gun Violence Reduction Advisory Council, ensuring that survivors, community violence intervention practitioners, faith leaders, researchers, and neighborhood leaders have a permanent voice in shaping the city's violence reduction, tragedies, and helping guide the future of this work. Those most affected by violence deserve more than to be consulted after decisions are made. They deserve a meaningful role in making them.

8:48 I'm also encouraged by the commitment to identify community safety priority zones, communities that have carried a disproportionate burden of gun violence, and to coordinate resources where they are needed most. Too often, neighborhoods receive attention only after another tragedy. This creates a structure to proactively align prevention, intervention, victim services, and community investments before more lives are lost. For survivors, this isn't about creating another office.

9:21 It's about creating a government that works together with urgency, intention, and in the partnership with the communities most affected by violence. Today's executive order is an important step toward that future. Thank you to Mayor Johnson for listening to survivors and community leaders. And thank you to Live Free Illinois for leading the movement that helped make this day possible. Thank you.

9:57 And now I'm pleased to welcome Mayor. Let me just say, as a politician, we don't always like to admit our mistakes, but I should have went first. These two women are just a remarkable testament to who we are as a city. They represent the soul of Chicago, and their advocacy and experience is what is driving policy today.

10:31 Now, let me try to get to these formal remarks here. All right. I do want to thank all of the community members, the tireless advocates and grassroots organizations who are here today and all the members of the city council who are supporting this this endeavor and this effort. We've come together today to mark an historic step in Chicago's fight against gun violence. For far too long in this city, we have not met the scale of this challenge with the urgency needed to transcend the systemic neglect that has left lasting scars in too many of our communities.

11:13 From day one, my administration's number one priority has been to drive down violence and to break these cycles of trauma that have disrupted the lives of too many Chicagoans. And from day one, we have marshaled every tool that's available to me to drive down violence, investing in communities, expanding opportunities, and working alongside community organizations that you are seeing represented today to support healing, but also to empower our neighborhoods.

11:45 For decades, the people of Chicago have been demanding more from city government. And today, city government responds to those demands. They have long understood that we cannot build real, lasting safety in our communities by demonizing our neighbors and failing to address the root causes of violence that have resulted from years of disinvestment in policies shaped by racial discrimination.

12:19 And that shows up in school closings. That's why it's not a coincidence that where violence is most pervasive is where two administrations ago decided to give up on black and brown people. Mental health clinics being shuttered, not investing in affordability and housing. And so it's broad, resilient and growing coalition of Chicago ones. I like to call them real Chicago. I'm going to work on being less petty.

12:53 maybe in my third term. But this coalition, and it includes gun violence survivors like Ms. Peterson, grassroots community organizations, faith leaders, Live Free Illinois, Aclavis, Metropolitan Family Services, my good friend Pastor Phil at the Firehouse, and so many other groups here, the Urban League is here,

13:24 have long called for the creation of the Permanent Department of Gun Violence Reduction. And today, my administration is meeting that call with real action. That's right. And so that's why I am proud today that I'm going to sign an executive order establishing the Office of Gun Violence Reduction.

13:58 So as Ms. Peterson has articulated, this creates a dedicated office which will coordinate efforts across city departments and agencies to drive down gun violence. By establishing this centralized structure, we will be able to deliver resources and services quickly and strategically and effectively to the communities that need them the most. This order embodies what Chicagoans do best. We do this better than anyone else. We come together to innovate, to collaborate, and to support one another.

14:31 it's incumbent upon government to continuously push the ball forward and to never stop asking how we can do our work better how can we better serve the people who are relying on us and how can we build lasting change now these 50 year old fingers getting a little sticky here now with the responsibility that we all have and that responsibility in mind this order will define To find that structure, we'll provide the coordination and responsibilities that will guide the work for the office going forward and to meet its ultimate goal.

15:08 The new office will work in concert with those on the front lines that are part of this fight. We're going to work with our Chicago police officers and our community violence intervention partners while enabling the Mayor's Office of Community Safety to continue advancing its mission of keeping our community safe. In recent years, Chicago has sustained historic reductions in crime and violence, with homicides falling to their lowest in 60 years during 2025.

15:43 Now, of course, one act of violence is one too many. And as the first mayor, likely in history, but certainly in modern history, to wake up every day in one of the most disinvested communities, A household of the 5700 block of West Superior where we have not escaped the trauma that comes with disinvestment, where bullets have come through the windows of our home. And too many children and too many families are being asked to duck and dodge bullets, living in communities that are absent of opportunity.

16:27 And so that's why with these trends, the type of coordination of how investments in community violence intervention programs and youth employment, enhanced victim services and expanding mental and behavioral health services have led to these reductions. But now is the time, though, not to pat ourselves on the back. Now is the time to double down on our efforts and not shy away from what has proven to be effective. You know, one of the things that frustrates me more is that you have some members who say they love this city

17:02 and refuse to admit that the work that they said wouldn't work is working and then refuse to accept it. But today is about what we all have to do together. And together we can transform our communities and build a truly interconnected city where everyone can feel safe, secure, and most of all, peace in their homes. I cannot thank enough the community advocates, partners, city council, who have worked with me to make this day possible.

17:38 I do look forward to the continuous work. And I will just close with this. as a former organizer, let me just say, the organizing effort around this particular policy, y'all did all right. The moment of truth. Let's sign this executive order. Let's get to work.

18:13 So the first thing is we're going to do something different. My signature will not be the sole signature on this document. And so we're going to have Ms. Peterson and Reverend Bates Chamberlain sign this. Now, what they did this time, they at least put my name first. So I'm going to sign it first and then Reverend Bates Chamberlain and then Ms. Peterson.

19:08 It's almost official, y'all. Here we go. Now, what's more impressive about this executive order is that there's a young person that knows cursive. That's impressive. Fourth grade is beautiful. I know we have a member of the Chicago Teachers Union here.

19:39 See, they are teaching these kids. All right, Keith. Oh, we're going to hold it up. All right. Congratulations, Chicago. Yes. OK. Good morning, everyone. We're going to do one question, please, and go down the line. Thank you. Good.

20:10 With this office being established and moving towards the department that you want to get, would the Office of Community Safety then be disbanded, would this replace it if the department is created? And what do you say to city council members who are wondering how much this might cost, or who are wondering how they should go to this? Well, first of all, the Mayor's Office of Community Safety will still function and exist. One of the things that I think it's important to note that the mayor's Office of Community Safety deals with a host of matters, right?

20:42 And so it's not just police, but it's also fire. It's OAMC. It's coordinating with other departments, like the Department of Family Support Services, right? So the overall frame and structure of my vision to build the safest, most affordable city will still exist. the Office of Gun Violence Reduction becomes a more strategic and coordinated focus to deal specifically with reducing gun violence. Because as you all know, for a government and for too long, and I believe Reverend Bates Chamberlain really articulated this well,

21:17 the work that has stretched across multiple departments, not only does it interrupt productivity, that's too much pressure on departments that have multiple tasks, right? And so this is going to provide the type of streamlined approach that really government needs to be far more thoughtful and innovative around, much like what we did with the Department of the Environment, restoring that. As far as city council members, you know, look, again, I think both of our advocates that are here today spoke very candidly

21:49 that it actually costs more when you disinvest, right? It costs more. And if you look at every area that we are addressing in terms of the financial malfeasance that I inherited, it has a result, it's resulted, the impact is based upon the negligence that previous administrations refused to address. And so, again, I have three children. um i don't know if you're interested in having children one day but i can tell you there's not

22:24 a price that you can place on my child and their existence and their ability to live free from violence and what i want for my children i want for every single family across the state good morning expect with this executive order to see look i think the urgency of this moment really is

22:56 provocating the the the demand to put forth an ordinance to have that discussion now at a time in which affordability is a top priority what we do know is that when communities are living in concentrated poverty that trauma provocates the type of violence that we're looking to disrupt and so look we saw a really good example with the first tax on big tech companies social media of its kind, we are already projecting 58 percent more revenue than what we initially forecast.

23:34 And so this is a good time for these large businesses who, quite frankly, are benefiting from the economic prowess of our city. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask these big businesses and the wealthiest of the wealthiest to put more skin in the game to support the very communities that they're ultimately profiting from.

24:10 We talked about previous administrations and things that they have done to disinvest in different communities. What's to say that this department wouldn't simply dismantle by the next administration? Yeah, well, look, I think that's a great question. I believe that's why there is urgency around an ordinance. I'm going to continue to do my part, but as you can see, that there are many city council members here, and you recognize all of them.

24:47 They're also committed in this effort. This is not a sole action of Mayor Brandon Johnson. This is me responding to the demands of... of the people of Chicago, but there are also city council members here who are prepared to do the hard work. And let me just acknowledge this. This work is hard. It is. But it's not harder than the lives that are struggling in the city of Chicago right now.

25:19 And so if we have to put in a few extra hours, you know, these alders and myself, we could talk to our union representation and see if we can get some overtime, But if we're not able to get that, it's still well worth the investments to make sure that it is permanent because, you know, much like what we did with the social media amusement responsibility tax, the whole point of doing that was so that the investments for mental health and behavioral health care would not be contingent upon who's on the fifth floor so that when the 58th mayor arrives in 12 or 16 years from now, they won't be able to interrupt that.

25:58 because it has to be permanent and long-lasting, and this is legacy. I mean, think about it. You have Reverend Sarah Bates-Chamberlain and Liana Peterson. There will be alders and mayors in the future that will be able to point back to this day of how they've helped create the safest, most affordable big city in America. Can we do all on-topic first? And I promise I'll come back to that.

26:28 I promise, Greg. You got it on-topic? Yes. Okay. So, Mayor, will this office have direct contracting authority, procurement authority, and why is the community safety office not enough? Why is this needed? Well, as I said before, the Office of Community Safety handles multiple entities centered around safety. It's not so much that it's not enough. It's about making sure that we are hyper-focused on a particular area that requires more attention.

27:02 What do I mean by that? The victims of gun violence in this city are overwhelmingly young black boys and young black men between the ages of 10 and 24. So let's just think about this for a second. We know who is most likeliest to be a victim of gun violence. And we also know that there's been an increase of black girls being impacted as well.

27:34 That in this moment, if there ever was a time for us to solely focus on a particular group that is most likely to experience the violence that comes with trauma, this is that moment. As a father, as a former public school teacher in this city teaching in Cabrini Green and at Weston House on the West Side, too many of our young black children cannot see past their today because they don't believe that their tomorrow is going to come.

28:17 And so what better way to show how much we care and love people by responding to a demand and a need that's literally prepared and positioned to save their lives. And and that's what my focus will always be is making sure that the promise of tomorrow can be expressed today.

28:47 But if people don't believe that their tomorrow is worth fighting for, or if it will even exist, what type of city will we be if we were to give up on a young person's promise? So I don't remember the other part of your question. Oh, the contracts of Deputy Mayor. Yes. Really quick, so that is one of the most central pieces of the ordinance, is that it would give that procurement power, which right now the Man's Office of Community Safety currently does not have. So that would be easy.

29:22 Thank you. Good morning, Mayor. Good morning. It's recording. Oh, it's recording. Yeah. Okay. I'm wondering if you, the Deputy Mayor, can just distill kind of a day in the life of what this office department, what I do, programming initiatives, you know, give people just a sense of what is different and what's so specific? Well, the first thing is, I mean, I'll try to summarize this quickly. The first thing that it does is it establishes an executive director, right? Someone whose sole responsibility will be to make the type of coordinated efforts around departments.

29:54 Again, Ms. Peterson talked about the advisory council. This is important because... It provides the type of nimbleness and flexibility that government needs to ensure that as trends shift around the city and as needs around those trends begin to manifest, that we have people on the ground who can report directly to an individual. It's going to create a system-wide cabinet structure across the enterprise so that city leaders are all speaking the same language

30:25 and obviously moving in the same direction. I think the day in the life, of course, will continue to maturate over time. I think about OEMC, for instance, when Richard M. Daley created that structure. That has certainly evolved. But keep in mind, do you know why OEMC was created? It's because of the deaths that took place during one of the hottest experiences that we've ever had. So let me get this straight. We can create an entire division, department of government and spend and invest in it to respond to how many deaths at 954, I believe.

31:05 And we've had well, well, more than 954 people die. And so we're talking about thousands of people. I'm actually I know today is a celebration, but it should have happened before I became mayor. We're going to continue to see it. Sierra says, amen, brother.

31:35 She wanted to say it. It took you too long to say it. Leah, why are you writing that down? She did not say it. But but it's going to evolve over time. Thank you. Good morning. My question for you today is in terms of this department, how much do you envision? And at a time where you've spoken very vividly about managing a budget shortfall, how do you anticipate this department still falling under the number you're looking for every single December?

32:11 Yeah, no, look, first of all, we're already spending well over $150 million around, you know, building safer communities, right? And, you know, that, admittedly, it's not enough. It's not. And, you know, in terms of what it will look like in the future, I can tell you one thing for sure. If you think Live Free Illinois and these advocates are done fighting because we have an executive order, you are sadly mistaken. I lifted up the social media amusement responsibility tax as an example.

32:52 People said that we couldn't do it. We're the first government in the country to administer this type of tax. And I'm grateful that the governor responded and followed our lead, and now he implemented one at the state level. But the truth of the matter is, at a time in which we've seen the largest upper transfer of wealth in the hands of the ultra-rich at the expense of everybody else, here's another way that I would ask it. At what point in this city will we finally demand and hold the ultra-wealthy and these big corporations accountable?

33:23 They have experienced a windfall of wealth at the expense of Ms. Peterson's, at the expense of the young people who are looking for opportunity. You mean to tell me that with 31,000 jobs that we've offered, 57,000 children applied, that as a city, we cannot figure out how to come up with another $20 million to make sure that every young person and young adult who wants a job can have a job?

33:57 You need to tell me that one of the largest economies of the world, I don't know if the news has broke yet, but at some point you're going to hear about our tourism numbers, breaking more records, more people are coming to Chicago, generating more revenue, more economic activity. And all we're asking for is to make sure that young people and young adults and families can live in safe communities. If this city is good enough for people to visit, then it sure to hell better be good enough for people to live in it.

34:37 All right, we got the one off topic. Okay, they're not going to visit. Be nice to them, y'all. All right. This is about the Bears. You talked about running for a third term, so I presume you're running for a second term. Look, today we're focused on making history, and we've already done that. There'll be time for me to make history in the future, too. That's right. I was just yesterday by a group aligned with the civic committee

35:11 that suggests your poll members are way underwater. 71% of the people polled said they would not vote to re-elect you. Today we have yet another candidate jumping into the race, Matt Brewer. Does this suggest to you any concerns about your vulnerability for whenever you decide to run for re-election? Look, my priority is building safe and affordable communities. Look, the politics and the naysayers, I believe a few years ago, I think I was polling at 2.2 percent. And I think the exact quote was, Mayor Johnson will never be mayor, bless his heart.

35:45 And yet here we are making history, signing the executive order. So the politics in this town, they're great. I'm going to share this anecdote here and we can move on with the rest of our day. But it's one of those things that just keeps you humble. I think voters will appreciate this. So I'm getting dropped off this morning. This is to tell you how Chicago is keep you humble. I'm being dropped off this morning. And I didn't know this was the rule, but I learned over this course of these three years when I'm walking, you know, headed into the elevator, you know, people have to stop to make sure I get on the elevator.

36:20 It's a little embarrassing, but folks have to stop. So as I'm walking in into the building, I was coming up on an office door. I won't tell you which office door it was, but there was a woman there. She was a little older, and when she realized why she couldn't leave out, she saw him and she said, ugh, got to wait for this guy. Which, to me, this is the most Chicago response, because that's love, because this is how familiar Chicagoans are.

36:53 And here's the part that was actually most humbling. She didn't necessarily suggest that she wouldn't wait for someone. just not for this guy thank you all congratulations

37:31 congratulations

38:25 Thank you.

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