I am disappointed to hear Roberto Requejo was not reappointed to the CTA Board. I’ve always found him to be thoughtful, knowledgeable, and passionate about improving transit. His expertise and leadership would have been invaluable as we work to bolster the CTA.

Great news! Chicago can help by forgiving old ambulance debt for uninsured residents. Bills from long ago that the city is unlikely to recover. This won’t cost the city what it was never going to collect. But it could lift a burden off working families & remove a barrier to seeking emergency care.

Illinois erases $1.1 billion in medical debt for residents

When Pritzker announced the program's first round of debt erasure in November 2024, he said $1 billion in debt elimination would take years. It actually took 15 months.

chicagobusiness.com

I voted "no" on the 2026 budget. You can read my detailed thoughts at aldermanmartin.com/2026-budget-vote.

🚰 Chicago has more lead service lines than any other city in the country. Here’s the unbelievable part: over $200 million is already set aside to replace them — but City Departments have 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴, which expire next year. (1)

Millions in loans to replace lead pipes pumping water into Chicago homes remain unspent

City officials on Monday said they plan to accelerate spending to replace lead service lines in 2026. The city also remains far behind telling Chicagoans of the health risks.

chicago.suntimes.com

Recent zoning decision.

Neighborhood bike ride with @aldermanmattmartin.bsky.social, @andrefor40th.bsky.social, and the Dutch consulate of Chicago!

Tomorrow, Friday Sept 12th come to Welles Park at 5:30pm to test ride different ebikes, then afterwards at 6pm we will do a group ride through the neighborhood to see all the new infrastructure RSVP docs.google.com/forms/d/1KMn... @andrefor40th.bsky.social 🤝 @aldermanmattmartin.bsky.social

Recent zoning decision.

The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying. Political violence has no place in this country and should never become the norm. I’m sending my sympathies to his family and friends at this time.

Trump says he's all about law and order. But remember who he gives a free pass. (1)

Trump cut half of all federal funding for gun violence prevention - programs that save lives, stop crimes before they happen, and give law enforcement more time to protect our communities. He could restore every dollar today by giving up less than 0.1% of his massive border budget.

🚌 I joined the Hamilton Elementary Bike Bus today! If you'd like to start a bike bus at your school, you can get started here: www.chicagofamilybiking.org/biketoschool

Submit feedback: aldermanmartin.com/development

The challenges facing CTA are immense from the budget cliff to slow zones. To start solving them, we need all of our government leaders focused on a shared vision: fast, reliable, and safe transit that connects every neighborhood. Chicagoans deserve nothing less.

CTA Faces 'Drastic Service Cuts' If State Funding Doesn’t Come Through, Agency Head Says

The Regional Transportation Authority faces a $770 million dollar fiscal cliff in 2026 that could cut area-wide transit service by 40 percent. Springfield has not yet acted to help CTA, Metra and Pace...

blockclubchicago.org

“When things go wrong with city government, Chicagoans deserve timely, thorough and transparent investigations that hold people accountable when necessary,” Ald. Matt Martin said. @wttw.bsky.social

Measure Designed to Tighten Ethics Rules to Stop Mayor’s Office From Obstructing Probes Advances

The measure unanimously endorsed by the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee had the support of both Inspector General Deborah Witzburg and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry after negotia...

news.wttw.com

When something goes wrong, the City should be held accountable. That's why we need robust, independent investigations. I'm proud to strengthen the integrity of those investigations, and am grateful to Dept leaders for working together to achieve this. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/14/m...

Mayor Brandon Johnson, inspector general reach compromise on ethics reform

Chicago aldermen advanced an ordinance Monday that restricts when the city’s Law Department can attend investigative interviews.

chicagotribune.com

Submit feedback at buff.ly/bHptaCa

Recent zoning decision:

This is a pivotal moment for the CTA. We can make it safer, faster, and cleaner to get around the city. But not without a permanent leader or a real national talent search. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/19/b...

Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t conduct formal national search for CTA head despite claiming otherwise, records show

The CTA has been without a permanent leader since embattled former president Dorval Carter stepped down.

chicagotribune.com

Medical debt isn't an indicator of financial responsibility and shouldn't impact your ability to sign a lease. Disappointing but not surprising Trump sides with credit agencies over good policy. Chicago can help by forgiving years-old ambulance ride debt.

The CFPB wanted medical debt to be left off credit reports. That's changed under Trump

Under the Biden administration, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule barring medical debt from appearing on credit reports. Now, the agency is siding with the credit industry…

npr.org

Chicagoans have demanded new leadership at the CTA for years. Now, there's an opportunity to select an experienced and visionary leader to take on major challenges. A transparent, thorough national search should be conducted to attract and consider the best possible candidates.

The first few years of a child's life are some of the most important for development and education. Head Start helps families in those years by providing child care and other support systems. Trump's proposed cuts will leave students less prepared to succeed in elementary school and beyond.

Chicago Sun-Times@chicago.suntimes.com · last yr.

President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to kill Head Start next year as part of a large reduction in federal government programs and services.

People who want to overthrow government shouldn't be able to collect a government paycheck. But the Trump administration is dismantling the ability of the federal government to root out anti-government extremism. 1/

WTTW - Chicago PBS@wttw.bsky.social · last yr.

Two months after Mayor Brandon Johnson formed a task force to examine how to rid the CPD with ties to extremist and anti-government groups, the effort has yet to show any sign of public progress. to.wttw.com/4jmQQdz

We can't afford backsliding on air quality in Chicago. That means we need bold action that confronts the reality of climate change, including: 🚏Expand bus lines 🚆Rehab aging El infrastructure 🚶Safer streets for pedestrians and bikers 🔌More public EV chargers nbcchi.com/QuBOa0W

Chicago's air ranked among the most polluted in America in new analysis

Man-made air pollution is decreasing, but overall air pollution is worse due in part of wildfire smoke, according to a new analysis.

nbcchi.com

Each year, 22 million pounds of plastic enters the Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, our largest source of public drinking water. Microplastics end up in our soil and waterways, directly impacting our bodies and the environment. And the problem is growing.

Concerned about federal budget cuts? Civil rights? Democratic institutions? Next week, join us for a community conversation moderated by Alderman Martin to ask questions directly of experts in labor, law, civil rights, and democracy reforms. 📅 Thursday, April 24th 🎟️ RSVP at bit.ly/democracy47

No one convicted of participating in a violent insurrection should be on government payroll. The State of Illinois made their policy crystal clear on this, and now Chicago needs to do the same. buff.ly/XKrk40p

Disappointed that the Johnson administration declined to make key department staff available to discuss this idea today. We should encourage community-driven public safety solutions like this one, not shut them down. Thank you to the 19th District Council for putting this proposal together.

Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com · last yr.

Commentary: Parking violations ranked sixth among the most common reasons people call 911. CPD responds to the vast majority of these parking-related calls. That’s time that officers could better spend talking to neighbors and building relationships with the communities they serve.

Nearly 10% of 911 calls are related to parking enforcement. We should free up police time to focus on violent crimes. That's why I called for a City Council hearing next week to explore ways other departments could handle those 911 calls. blockclubchicago.org/2025/03/27/n...

North Side Police Oversight Group Raises Alarm As Funding For Mental Health Response Team Dries Up

“We need to make sure we have a way to fund CARE so that it can continue on into the future," one council member said of the push to expand the city’s Crisis Assistance Response and Engagement initiat...

blockclubchicago.org

This week, one of the largest union elections in the country is taking place here in Chicago. Workers at Tony's Fresh Market will be voting to join UFCW Local 881 I will always stand by union members fighting for better pay, more vacation time, and the respect they deserve.