Chicago’s City Council is set for tight votes on a new speed limit and police cooperation with ICE amid community concerns
Chicago: The City Council is gearing up for some nail-biting votes. They’ve been through a lot, especially with Mayor Brandon Johnson during the budget talks.
Now, they’re looking at two big issues: lowering the speed limit to 25 mph and whether to let police work with ICE. Both could be really close calls.
The speed limit change seems a bit easier to pass. The Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety gave it a thumbs up, but some alderpersons are worried. They think it might lead to more tickets and unfair stops for minority drivers.
Remember when former Mayor Lori Lightfoot lowered the ticketing threshold for speed cameras? That stirred up a lot of debate too. This year, they’re adding 50 more speed cameras as part of the budget deal.
Transportation Commissioner Tom Carney mentioned that Chicago’s efforts to make streets safer are working. Traffic deaths are down 27% since 2021, which is great news. But he believes changing the speed limit is still important.
Ald. Daniel La Spata thinks the new limit could save over 300 lives in the next decade. He’s not worried about the ticket fears. With a year before enforcement starts, he wants to focus on educating drivers instead of just handing out fines.
He suggested a cool idea: instead of a fine, drivers could take a quick online module to learn about safe driving. La Spata is determined to push this through, even if it costs about $3 million to change all the signs.
He’s heard from parents who’ve lost young kids and feels the urgency to act. Mayor Johnson is on board, but his Budget Chair, Jason Ervin, isn’t so sure. He’s worried about how this could be enforced fairly.
On the other hand, the vote about the Welcoming City Ordinance could be trickier. Johnson’s team and immigrant rights groups are pushing back hard against it.
With the threat of mass deportations looming, they argue that letting police work with federal immigration officers could lead to serious issues. It might scare undocumented immigrants from reporting crimes or helping police.
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, who’s been fighting for immigrant rights, says there’s a big coalition against these changes. They’ve worked hard to protect these communities, and many are worried about the legal and financial risks involved.
