City Council meeting, December 14, 2023
- When: Thu, Dec 14, 2023, 10:00 AM (Chicago time)
- Where: .
- Status: Scheduled & Published
- Body: full City Council
- Video: https://vimeo.com/showcase/6277394/video/894279226
- Transcript: full text (4,570 words, official captions)
Meeting notes
AI-written from the transcript. Speakers are inferred from cues in the recording, so treat names as estimates and check the video at the linked time.
The City Council held a special meeting called by Alderpersons Beale, Lopez and Moore to consider resolution R2023-0004224, which would put a referendum question to voters on whether Chicago should keep its designation as a sanctuary city. Eight public commenters spoke, most urging the council to keep the welcoming city ordinance, while others supported ending sanctuary status. Because the resolution had not been reported out of the Rules Committee, a motion to suspend the rules was required; that motion failed (read as 16 yeas, 31 nays), so the item could not be considered. After the vote, Alderman Anthony Beale criticized the outcome, and the meeting was adjourned.
Topics: sanctuary city referendum, welcoming city ordinance, migrant funding, public comment, special meeting
Agenda items discussed
- 5:07 Reading of the call for the special meeting
- 6:11 Public comment
- 32:34 Motion to suspend the rules to consider a resolution authorizing a sanctuary city referendum question (R2023-0004224): failed
Alderpersons who spoke
- Anthony Beale (alderperson): Criticized colleagues for blocking the referendum and asked why the council would not let residents have a say. (36:52); Said spending on new arrivals was coming at the expense of long-time taxpaying residents who lack resources. (38:09)