Black Caucus notches victories during Illinois lame-duck session; Welch wins speaker role from Madigan

Black Caucus notches victories during Illinois lame-duck session; Welch wins speaker role from Madigan

Illinois lawmakers returned to Springfield for a lame-duck session driven by a Black Caucus agenda focusing on social and economic justice efforts intended to root out systemic racism following a summer of nationwide unrest after the unjust deaths of Black individuals at the hands of police. The specter of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s losing quest to win another term as speaker only added to the drama of the intense, five-and-a-half-day session, culminating in Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Westchester, winning the top House post as the first Black individual to assume the powerful role.
CCI Radio Hour: Sept. 21, 2020

CCI Radio Hour: Sept. 21, 2020

Gloria Purvis, co-host of EWTN Radio’s "Morning Glory" show, talks about her call for Catholics to confront the sin of racism in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Then, state Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, discusses the efforts of the Illinois Legislature’s Black Caucus to craft comprehensive legislation targeting systemic racism slated to be unveiled during the fall veto session. Next, Sr. Stephanie Baliga, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist of Chicago who ministers from the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in Chicago, last month ran a marathon on a treadmill after learning the Chicago Marathon was cancelled because of the ongoing pandemic. Finally, Molly Perry, board member of Aid for Women, talks about the crisis pregnancy center's virtual benefit dinner on Oct. 7 featuring retired Super-Bowl winning tight end Benjamin Watson as the keynote speaker.