Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has become the latest Democrat luminary to complain about the influx of illegal immigrants into his state. But unlike some of his cohorts, he refused to contend that efforts should be made to curb illegal immigration at the border.
In a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24003426/bidenletter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to President Joe Biden, Pritzker began by noting it had been “13 months since the first bus of asylum seekers arrived in Illinois from the border,” adding that over 15,000 people had arrived in his state. “Governors and mayors from border states have shipped people to our state like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points,” he complained.
“The people of Illinois are kind and generous,” he first proclaimed. “We believe in the fundamental right of every human, especially those facing persecution, to find refuge and live with dignity in this great country of ours.”
Then came the complaint: “But as the numbers being transported to Chicago are accelerating, the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming our ability to provide aid to the refugee population. Unfortunately, the welcome and aid Illinois has been providing to these asylum seekers has not been matched with support by the federal government. Most critically, the federal government&#8217;s lack of intervention and coordination at the border has created an untenable situation for Illinois.”
“Though we have found temporary housing in existing buildings for a majority of the refugees, we are challenged to find additional housing for the continuous flow of people who keep coming and are now forced to sleep in police stations and on sidewalks. This situation is untenable and requires your immediate help beyond the coming work authorizations for some of the asylum seekers,” he continued.
“As just one state in our union, we cannot lead coordination efforts at the border,” he protested.  “It cannot be that just a few cities and states should now bear the cost of this effort alone.”
“I urge you, Secretary Mayorkas, and the rest of your administration to take swift action and intervene on our behalf and on behalf of the other affected states and their residents, as well as on behalf of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who undertook a dangerous and difficult journey in hopes of attaining public safety and forging a better life for themselves and their families,” he concluded.
New York Democrat governor Kathy Hochul has complained about the influx of illegal immigrants, but she has also urged stronger efforts to contain immigration. <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/01/gov-hochul-concedes-border-is-too-open-and-that-a-limit-needed-on-who-can-cross/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking</a> on “Face The Nation,” she said of the border, “It is too open right now. &#8230; We want to have a limit on who can come across the border. &#8230; People coming from all over the world are finding their way through, simply saying they need asylum, and the majority of them seem to be ending up in the streets of New York, and that is a real problem for New York City. It’s in our DNA to welcome immigrants. But there has to be some limits in place.”

2023 Clinton Global Initiative

Illinois Dem Gov Complains About Illegals Flooding His State. He Doesn’t Mention Stopping It.

Illegal Immigration

Illinois

J.B. Pritzker

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> Supreme Court ruled in favor of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/debunking-top-5-myths-about-ar-15-aaron-bandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ban on AR-15s</a> and other similar firearms after Republicans challenged the law, arguing it was unconstitutional.
In a narrow 4-3 ruling, the court said that Illinois could ban the sale of certain handguns, rifles like AR-15s, magazines for long guns holding more than 10 rounds, and magazines for handguns holding more than 15 rounds. 
In her majority decision, Democratic Judge Elizabeth Rochford <a href="https://ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net/antilles-resources/resources/3ada0367-2637-42d9-b823-cfa97ae14924/Caulkins%20v.%20Pritzker,%202023%20IL%20129453.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the plaintiffs were trying to &#8220;piggyback a second amendment claim&#8221; onto an equal protection argument, saying that an argument that the law violates <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/second-amendment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Second Amendment</a> could not be made due to previous line of arguing. 
Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), who signed the ban into law, praised the court’s decision. “This is a commonsense gun reform law to keep mass-killing machines off of our streets and out of our schools, malls, parks, and places of worship,&#8221; Pritzker said. &#8220;Illinoisans deserve to feel safe in every corner of our state — whether they are attending a Fourth of July Parade or heading to work — and that&#8217;s precisely what the Protect Illinois Communities Act accomplishes,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1690012828076281856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. 
Pritzker was referencing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shooting-sends-4th-of-july-parade-into-chaos-multiple-feared-injured-or-dead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shooting</a> in Highland Park on July 4, 2022 that left seven dead and dozens injured. 
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In her dissent, Judge Lisa Holder White pointed to the rights of citizens to own guns for protection, referencing the founding of the U.S. 
“This great nation was founded on the premise that the right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms is essential to what it means to be a free people. The right of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms and to arm themselves to protect their families, their homes, and themselves must not be infringed,” she wrote. “Belief in the previously mentioned precepts in no way diminishes the fact that all law-abiding citizens desire safe communities where schools, workplaces, houses of worship, and public gatherings are free from gun violence.”
She added that the constitutional “procedural requirements” were not met when the law was passed so it should be struck down. 
The U.S. Supreme Court previously declined to hear a challenge to the case, saying that it would wait for an appeals court ruling on the decision.

US-NEWS-ILL-ASSAULTWEAPONS-BAN-2-TB

Illinois Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of State Ban On AR-15s

Assault Weapons

Courts

Guns

Second Amendment

U.S.

The political elites in Illinois have lost their collective mind. At a time when both major and minor crimes in Chicago are out of control and people feel unsafe, the state’s leadership thought it would be a good idea to inhibit citizens from exercising their constitutional right to own a gun, while simultaneously literally giving criminals a get-out-of-jail-free card by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/18/1188349005/illinois-ends-cash-bail-system-state-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ending</a> cash bail, and now allowing certain illegal immigrants to become police officers.
Let’s start with Illinois’ gun grab. The new law, enacted in January 2023, bans the sale of nearly 200 different types of so-called assault <a href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.25890.html#:~:text=SPRINGFIELD%20%2D%20Standing%20alongside%20lawmakers%20and,switches%20in%20Illinois%2C%20effective%20immediately." target="_blank" rel="noopener">weapons</a>, including the AR-15 and AK-47. The law also bars the sale of magazines that have more than 15 rounds of ammunition for handguns and more than 10 rounds of ammunition for a long gun.
Illinois Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker gloated at the signing ceremony stating, “Illinois now officially prohibits the sale and distribution of these mass-killing machines.” But if only Governor Pritzker was a student of facts and not just someone afraid of scary-looking guns, he would recognize the ineffectiveness of laws like these. 
The data do not support those in favor of more and more gun control. Only 12% of mass killings are “mass <a href="https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/report/the-current-gun-debate-mass-shootings?_ga=2.66986990.1762492120.1567008225-1261428870.1565801058">public shootings</a>.” Most mass killings are familicides – murders of family members or intimate partners – and felony-related killings – robberies or gang-related turf battles. Mass public shootings account for less than one-half-of-one percent of all gun deaths every year.
<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/type-gun-us-homicides-ar-15/story?id=78689504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a> News reports, &#8220;&#8230;there are only 20 million assault rifles in the United States, a fraction of the estimated 400 million guns in the country.&#8221; In 2019, handguns were used in 62% of the nation’s gun murders, according to FBI data.
&#8220;According to <a class="zZyg UbGl iFzk qdXb WCDh DbOX tqUt " href="https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/suficspi16.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-testid="prism-linkbase">a 2016 Survey of Prison Inmates</a> from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, handguns were the most common type of gun possessed by federal and state prisoners. About 18% of the prisoners said they possessed a handgun, and 2% or less possessed a rifle or shotgun,&#8221; according to ABC News.
Criminals, by definition, do not care about the law. That is what makes them criminals. The same prison inmate survey found that only 7% of prisoners purchased their weapons under their own name from a licensed dealer. More than half of prisoners had stolen the weapon, found it at the scene of a crime, or obtained it off the street or from the underground market. Furthermore, from August 1988 through August 2019, more than “85 percent of <a href="https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/gun-facts-and-fiction/mass-shootings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mass Public Shootings</a> occurred in gun-free zones.” Criminals don’t care about the law, so gun laws will not affect them.
In addition, although the law will likely be strictly enforced in Chicago, most Illinois county <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2023/01/17/sheriffs-across-illinois-say-they-won-t-enforce-new-assault-weapons-ban#:~:text=A%20number%20of%20sheriffs%20across,County%20Sheriff%20Jeff%20Bullard%20said." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sheriffs</a> have issued statements announcing they will not enforce the law. More than half the counties in the state have passed resolutions, declaring themselves “2nd amendment <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-second-amendment-sanctuary-county-movement-illinois-20190416-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctuary counties</a>.”
And if our leaders really wanted to save lives, shouldn’t they be banning cars and trucks? 46,980 people <a href="https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/overview/introduction/?utm_source=Google_Search&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=Injury_Facts&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKo9GD5WF_GcF-soM70NPD7rxE-vLbp4eYYof4zoAo7_W5sYDRzGagtxoCDm4QAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> in motor vehicle crashes nationwide in 2021. By contrast, less than half that number of people, 20,958 died as a result of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/">gun</a> violence. The right to bear arms is guaranteed in the Constitution, the right to drive a car is not. It&#8217;s a simple comparison, but it shows how politicians aren’t worried about saving lives, they are worried about making headlines.
The Illinois gun <a href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.25890.html#:~:text=SPRINGFIELD%20%2D%20Standing%20alongside%20lawmakers%20and,switches%20in%20Illinois%2C%20effective%20immediately." target="_blank" rel="noopener">law</a> does allow those who owned the now-banned guns and magazines prior to the law’s enactment can keep them … but only if they are registered with law enforcement, effectively creating an Illinois gun registry. 
Not satisfied with disarming law-abiding citizens, Illinois also decided to become one of the only states to eliminate cash bail for people arrested and awaiting trial for their crimes. Under the new law, called “the <a href="https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-supreme-court-criminal-cash-bail-goes-away-sept-18/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAFE-T</a> Act.” Judges across Illinois will not require those charged with a crime to post bail in order to leave jail while they await trial.
<a href="https://www.ky3.com/2022/09/09/gates-are-open-illinois-ending-cash-bail-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prosecutors</a> from rural Southern Illinois to Chicago are concerned by a section of the law that they say appears to identify a subset of crimes in which the only reason a defendant could be held in jail awaiting trial is if there is a high likelihood, they’ll flee to avoid prosecution. Those crimes include aggravated battery, robbery, burglary, aggravated DUI, kidnapping, vehicular homicide, and all drug offenses.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/07/18/1188349005/illinois-ends-cash-bail-system-state-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police</a> opposed the law and called a recent decision by the Illinois State Supreme Court “a slap in the face to those who enforce our laws and the people those laws are supposed to protect. The court ignored the pleas of nearly every prosecutor in the state of Illinois, Democrat and Republican, that the elimination of cash bail will put dangerous criminals back on the street, instead of keeping them in jail or forcing them to post cash bail as they await trial,” the group said.
This policy will almost inevitably result in more crime, with many examples of its shortcomings in other liberal cities. In <a href="https://yoloda.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/PRESS-RELEASE-ZERO-BAIL-STUDY-2023-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yolo County</a>, California, the District Attorney’s Office conducted a review of the re-arrest of people released from under the $0 bail initiative. The study found that more than 70% of those released were rearrested, with 29% of rearrested for a crime of violence including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, and domestic violence.
And now, the brain trust in Illinois has decided that non-citizens can become police and arrest American citizens. Illinois House Bill 3751 was just signed into law and beginning January 1, 2024, will allow illegal immigrants with valid federal work permits and DACA recipients to join law enforcement in <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/fact-check-illinois-police-officers-illegal-immigrants-law-1816306#:~:text=The%20bill%2C%20which%20will%20come,that%20federal%20laws%20currently%20forbid." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> – something that federal laws currently forbid. What could possibly go wrong?
These three laws reinforce that the Left actually embraces violence and chaos, especially in Democrat-controlled cities like Chicago. Disarm the citizens and free the criminals.
The Left knows the answer to the gun crisis, they just don’t like it. Reducing the number of criminal shootings requires authorities to enforce the gun laws that are in place rather than pleading them down, keep criminals in jail, eliminate &#8220;gun-free zones,&#8221; and expand the right for citizens to legally carry a concealed weapon. Criminals will start thinking twice if the person next to them could be a good guy with a gun. 
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in the Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and the Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Three New Illinois State Laws Prove Democrats Are The Party Of Chaos

Bail Reform

Chicago

Gun Laws

Leftists

Readers Pass

Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.B. Pritzker</a> (D-IL)  signed a bill on Friday that will allow foreign nationals in the state to become police officers. 
The bill, which was opposed by some police groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police, was one of 130 bills Pritzker <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_de81cd74-2d90-11ee-a038-8341950255f1.html#:~:text=(The%20Center%20Square)%20–%20More,the%20state%27s%20criminal%20justice%20system." target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> on Friday. Effective immediately, foreign nationals will now be able to become police officers in the state. 
The law, HB3751, <a href="https://legiscan.com/IL/text/HB3751/2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that foreign nationals who “are legally authorized under federal law to work in the United States” or any foreign national who “is an individual against whom immigration action has been deferred by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) process” can apply to become a police officer in the state. 
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) condemned the bill earlier this year after it passed in the state House. 
“What message does this legislation send when it allows people who do not have legal status to become the enforcers of our laws?&#8221; the group said in a <a href="https://newschannel20.com/news/local/illinois-bill-would-allow-noncitizens-to-become-police#:~:text=(KHQA)%20%E2%80%94%20A%20bill%20sent,officer%20or%20a%20sheriff%27s%20deputy." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. &#8220;This is a potential crisis of confidence in law enforcement at a time when our officers need all the public confidence they can get.”
During debate on the bill, Illinois state Sen. Chapin Rose (R) said it would be a “fundamental breach” of democracy to allow non-citizens to arrest American citizens. 
“It’s just a fundamentally bad idea,” Rose <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQbE9-TUxas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in May. “I don’t care where this individual is from. Australia — they should not be able to arrest a United States citizen on United States soil.” 
Illinois has been facing <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/officer-shortage-a-cause-of-concern-for-interim-cpd-boss-amid-crime-spike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortages</a> of police officers as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-criminal-justice-system-reform-law-criticized-by-police" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state</a> and major metro areas like Chicago have pursued policies largely opposed by police. 
Pritzker signed several other controversial bills, <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/thecentersquare.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/64/064fae82-2d8e-11ee-84be-a7d54698ff85/64c433a8647a6.pdf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including</a> one requiring state agencies to add “non-binary” or “gender non-conforming” categories to employment reports.
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Another bill <a href="https://newschannel20.com/news/local/pritzker-signs-law-to-stop-deceptive-practices-at-crisis-pregnancy-centers-sparks-pro-life-backlash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> this week targets crisis pregnancy centers. The law will now allow Illinois’ attorney general to investigate a case of alleged consumer fraud against crisis pregnancy centers accused of deceptive practices. The law is largely taking aim at pro-life centers that suggest <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/research-really-shows-abortions-physical-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an association</a> between abortion and breast cancer or infertility. 
Right to Life Executive Director Mary Kate Zander said that the measure was “politically motivated” and “totally unsubstantiated.”
The Thomas More Society, a conservative law firm that fights in defense of religious liberty and free speech, filed a suit against the law on Thursday. 
“This law is a blatant attempt to chill and silence pro-life speech under the guise of ‘consumer protection,’” <a href="https://www.thomasmoresociety.org/news/pro-life-pregnancy-help-ministries-sue-illinois-attorney-general-over-sb-1909" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Peter Breen, Thomas More Society executive vice president and head of litigation. “Pregnancy help ministries provide real options and assistance to women and families in need, but instead of the praise they deserve, pro-abortion politicians are targeting these ministries with $50,000 fines and injunctions solely because of their pro-life viewpoint.”

Mayor-Elect Brandon Johnson Meets With Illinois Governor Pritzker

Illinois Governor Signs Bill Allowing Foreign Nationals To Become Police Officers

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Police

Politics

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2023/06/30/illinois-make-standard-driver-s-licenses-available-noncitizens-regardless-immigration">signed</a> a bill into law on Friday that will allow illegal immigrants to acquire standard driver’s licenses. 
House Bill 3882, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will allow illegal immigrants to use driver’s licenses as official identification documents but do not qualify for Real ID travel purposes. 
“This legislation is a significant step in eliminating the barriers to opportunity that many undocumented immigrants face,” said Pritzker. “We’re ensuring every eligible individual can obtain a driver’s license, making our roads safer, decreasing stigma, and creating more equitable systems for all.”
“Providing access to a standard Illinois Driver&#8217;s License for our undocumented immigrants is about breaking down barriers that lead to discrimination,” said Democratic Lt. Governor Julia Stratton.
Currently, illegal immigrants in the state can obtain a Temporary Visitor Driver’s License, which bears the acronym “TVDL” at the top.
&#8220;TVDLs have become the ‘Scarlet Letter&#8217; of an individual&#8217;s immigration status and sadly exposes them to discrimination or immigration enforcement,&#8221; said Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. &#8220;This legislation allows immigrants to obtain standard driver licenses that will serve as authentic identification in Illinois.” He added that the policy would “help prevent the stigma, instances of discrimination, and problems that TVDLs have been known to cause.”
There are <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/data/unauthorized-immigrant-population/state/IL">425,000 illegal immigrants</a> living in Illinois, according to some estimates. 
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Meanwhile, state lawmakers recently passed <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=3751&amp;GAID=17&amp;GA=103&amp;DocTypeID=HB&amp;LegID=149009&amp;SessionID=112">HB 3751,</a> legislation that would <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/illinois-legislation-would-allow-non-u-s-citizens-to-become-police-officers/">allow</a> DACA recipients who are eligible to work to become law enforcement officers. The bill, which Gov. Pritzker has not yet signed, would violate federal law, which states that only American citizens can become law enforcement officers. The legislature seemingly <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_6b6d22ae-f5cb-11ed-bb82-0bb29a8c1b0b.html">justified</a> this conflict by predicting that DACA recipients would eventually become citizens. 
Chicago has struggled to accommodate foreign nationals and asylum seekers who have unlawfully crossed the border. The city recently passed a controversial measure to provide <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-mayor-eric-adams-sues-30-new-york-counties-for-refusing-to-accept-foreign-nationals">$51 million</a> in funding to provide housing for the roughly 10,000 foreign nationals who have arrived in the Windy City over the past year.

JB Pritzker

Illinois Gov. Signs Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Obtain Driver’s Licenses

Illinois Gov. Signs Bill Allowing Illegal Immigrants To Obtain Driver's Licenses

Drivers Licenses

Immigration

Illinois Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-signs-illinois-law-to-ban-book-bans/3159981/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a bill on Monday aimed at stopping book bans in public schools while standing in front of books that have been deemed sexually explicit and pornographic. 
Under the new legislation, libraries will not be eligible to receive state grants if they remove books from their collections or refuse to sign the American Library Association’s Library <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill of Rights</a>, which indicates &#8220;materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”
“Book bans are about censorship, marginalizing people and marginalizing ideas,” Democrat Gov. Pritzker said at Chicago’s Harold Washington Public Library. 
Pritzker signed the bill <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/13/blue-state-gov-sexually-explicit-books-law-prohibiting-book-bans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in front</a> of a shelf of books that have been contested in other states over what some critics have described as pornographic content. Many of the books, including “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe, feature explicit illustrations of sex acts. The shelf also showcased “<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/13JH0x0ngP3xstxOHVmDRoFi2RGcQ2BiZ/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This Book is Gay</a>” by Juno Dawson, which similarly features graphic sexual depictions, and even provides detailed instructions for various sex acts. Dawson responded to critics, claiming the book is &#8220;definitely not pornographic.&#8221;
CEO of Equality Illinois Brian Johnson <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/pritzker-signs-illinois-law-to-ban-book-bans/3159981/">lauded</a> the bill, remarking, “If reading materials are denied to us, we are denied an opportunity to learn about ourselves.”
The legislation comes as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-mom-reads-graphic-gay-porn-found-in-school-library-to-school-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parents</a> across the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michigan-school-district-removes-pornographic-books-after-muslim-community-outrage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">country</a> have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-this-is-pornography-and-this-is-grooming-school-board-shuts-mom-down-when-she-reads-from-book-available-to-schoolchildren" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objected</a> to books like “Gender Queer” and “This Book is Gay” being featured in public school libraries. 
Meanwhile in Florida, a law went into effect earlier this year <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/gov-ron-desantis-florida-banning-books-is-a-nasty-hoax" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requiring books</a> in school libraries to be approved by a librarian or media specialist. Those who provide pornographic books to students could be charged with a third degree felony.
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Gov. Pritzker is the cousin of Jennifer Pritzker, a transgender-identified billionaire who has been instrumental in the effort to normalize child transgenderism. Jennifer Pritzker’s Tawani Foundation contributed <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/07/20/2266015/0/en/Col-Jennifer-Pritzker-Announces-Six-Figure-Donation-to-ACLU-to-Help-Fight-Anti-Trans-Laws.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more than $100,000</a> to the ACLU to fight a Tennessee law banning the medical transition of minors. Pritzker also <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/lurie-hospital-gender-identity-clinic-gets-500k-from-pritzker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave $500,000</a> to the Lurie Children’s Hospital’s gender and sex development program in 2016. Pritzker also provided the initial grant money to the gender identity clinic when it first opened in 2013.
Pritzker’s Tawani Foundation also donated <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/social-justice/2022/09/03/foundation-run-trans-billionaire-funded-overnight-camp-trans-eight-year-olds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$25,000 to Harbor Camps</a>, an overnight summer camp for children as young as 8 years old who identify as “transgender or non-binary.” 
Meanwhile, the foundation <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/education/2022/12/22/private-school-gave-students-sex-toys-backed-foundation-gov-j-b-pritzkers-trans-sibling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave $45,000</a> to Chicago’s Francis W. Parker School, which Project Veritas reported had given sex toys to students in a lesson on “queer sex.”

Illinois Gov. Signs Bill Preventing ‘Book Bans’ While Standing In Front Of Sexually Explicit Books

Illinois Gov. Signs Bill Preventing 'Book Bans' While Standing In Front Of Sexually Explicit Books

Books

General

LGBTQ

As red states have moved to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-states-with-restrictions-on-medical-child-sex-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shield children</a> from life-altering transgender procedures, several leftist legal groups have been working to block new laws protecting gender-confused young people from surgical and hormonal interventions.
Two of the most prominent groups leading the charge against the laws, the ACLU and Lambda Legal have ties to liberal foundations and are backed by powerful corporations, meaning that red state laws are facing the full power of Left-wing legal action.
Together Lambda, the ACLU, or Lambda and an ACLU affiliate, have challenged bans on child sex changes in states including <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/newsroom/walker_al_20220411_families-sue-over-felony-ban-on-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-adolescents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alabama</a>, <a href="https://www.aclu.org/cases/brandt-et-al-v-rutledge-et-al" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arkansas</a>, <a href="https://www.losangelesblade.com/2023/05/02/aclu-lambda-legal-sue-oklahoma-over-trans-healthcare-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oklahoma</a>, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/3936335-aclu-sues-indiana-over-law-banning-transgender-care-for-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indiana</a>, and <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/newsroom/tn_20230420_lgbtq-advocates-sue-tennessee-to-block-dangerous-transgender-healthcare-ban/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a>. 
Additionally, ACLU affiliates have promised to sue over similar laws in <a href="https://capitol-beat.org/2023/03/fight-over-medical-care-for-transgender-youth-moves-from-gold-dome-to-court/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Georgia</a>, <a href="https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/law-justice/2023-04-05/aclu-of-idaho-says-it-will-sue-to-halt-transgender-healthcare-ban#:~:text=The%20ACLU%20of%20Idaho%20said,in%20a%20statement%20released%20Wednesday." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Idaho</a>, <a href="https://www.wdrb.com/news/aclu-of-kentucky-plans-lawsuit-over-new-law-banning-gender-transition-for-those-under-18/article_309a6fe0-d313-11ed-a557-4fbb76b4dc71.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/montana-genderaffirming-care-trans-minors-b48aae69e2d46e7d59cab62a3ac72bc6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montana</a>, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/1/30/23578529/transgender-gender-affirming-care-surgeries-lawsuit-aclu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utah</a>.
<h2>Lambda Legal</h2>
Lambda Legal, which was founded in 1973, <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/staff-board/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describes</a> its mission as working “to change laws, policies, and minds so that LGBTQ+ Americans and everyone living with HIV can live with full equality.”
Its current CEO is Kevin Jennings, who worked in the Obama administration as assistant secretary of education, and has been associated with several LGBT groups in the past. 
His leadership of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) brought controversy in 2000 after a Boston chapter of the network <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/mass-ed-dept-criticized-for-taped-session-on-gay-sex/2000/05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosted talks</a> like “Ask the Transsexuals” and “What They Didn’t Tell You About Queer Sex and Sexuality in Health Class,” which contained graphic descriptions of sex. 
“This was a politically motivated witch hunt,” Jennings said at the time. “This one workshop is being seen as typical and that is not the case.”
Also on the executive team is Marco Chan, who is the chief of planning and program management. Chan has previously worked as a consultant for the World Bank and worked as a policy adviser for a variety of positions in the Canadian government, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwtchan/details/experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to his LinkedIn page. 
Another member of the executive team, Jennifer Pizer, was instrumental in overturning state laws that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman. She <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/staff-board/jennifer-c-pizer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also</a> “co-authored a series of friend-of-the-court briefs explaining the threats to LGBT people of the religious challenges by Hobby Lobby.” 
Jim Ferg-Cadima, the <a href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.20201.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">child</a> of an illegal immigrant and deputy legal director for the group, was also an Obama administration alumni. He <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jferg-cadima2023/details/experience/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worked</a> as the acting deputy assistant for policy for the Education Department before he became the chair of the Illinois Human Rights Commission by far-Left Governor J.B. Pritzker. 
Other management team members also have ties to Left-wing activism including <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/staff-board/kristine-kippins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kristine Kippins</a> (tied to the radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights), <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/staff-board/michael-shutt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Schutt</a> (starting LGBT and other diversity groups at Emory University and the University of Georgia), and <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/staff-board/camilla-taylor/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Camilla B. Taylor</a> (working to strike down state laws defining marriage as between one man and one woman). 
Lambda Legal also receives backing from major <a href="https://lambdalegal.org/sponsors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">corporate sponsors</a>, including banking giant JPMorgan &amp; Chase, international law firm Kirkland &amp; Ellis, Mastercard, Paycom, The Financial Times, Comcast NBCUniversal, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Ron Klain-linked law firm O’Melveny, Clinton-linked law firm Perkins Coie, alcohol company Southern Glazer, and Toyota.
Though most of its donors are not publicly known, it appears  several Left-leaning organizations, including George Soros’ Open Society Foundation have backed Lambda. 
The Open Society Foundation has consistently given six-figure grants to the group, beginning in 2016, the most <a href="https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=lambda+legal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent</a> being a$125,000 donation in 2021. 
Lambda has also been the beneficiary of large donations from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, most recently <a href="https://www.haasjr.org/grants/search/all/2018/2023/any/any/Lambda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">receiving</a> $20,000 from the group in 2021 and generous donations from the <a href="https://www.overbrook.org/advancing-reproductive-and-gender-rights-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Overbrook Foundation</a> through its “Advancing Reproductive and Gender Rights” program. 
<h2>ACLU</h2>
Though no surprise, the other legal group leading the charge against bans on transgender procedures is the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and its state level affiliates. Founded in 1920, the ACLU <a href="https://www.aclu.org/about/aclu-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that its purpose is to fight “government abuse and to vigorously defend individual freedoms including speech and religion, a woman’s right to choose, the right to due process, citizens’ rights to privacy.”
Well known cases brought by the ACLU include the 1925 Scopes trial which centered on the teaching of evolution in the classroom, Supreme Court cases in the early 2000s where the ACLU challenged restrictions on pornography, and cases of all sorts challenging religious actions at public schools. 
The organization has a <a href="https://www.aclu.org/report/aclu-2022-annual-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">massive budget</a>, with total net assets reaching well over $600 million in fiscal year 2022. The ACLU and its affiliates have also received the backing of large foundations like the Ford Foundation which gave a <a href="https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?q=%22American%20Civil%20Liberties%20Union%20Foundation%20(ACLUF)%22&amp;p=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hefty $2,400,000 donation</a> this past April. At the state level, the Tawani Foundation — the foundation for the mega-wealthy Pritzker family — <a href="https://www.tawanifoundation.org/our-grants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> the ACLU-TN $164,205 for the purpose of “legal work in TN to advance and defend justice for transgender individuals.”
The arguments from the ACLU generally say that the bans on trans surgeries for kids violate the constitutional rights of the students, arguing they are being denied equal treatment under the law.
“Politicians have no right to put themselves between patients and their doctors, and this law threatens the future of thousands of trans youth across the state,” <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/montana-health-care-providers-and-families-challenge-law-banning-gender-affirming-care-for-transgender-youth">said</a> ACLU staff attorney Malita Picasso, referencing a recent lawsuit filed in Montana with the assistance of attorney from the ACLU, the ACLU of Montana, Lambda Legal, and Perkins Coie. 
The judicial approach has worked in two states so far, with judges blocking bans on trans procedures for minors in both Alabama and Arkansas.
It remains to be seen how this approach will play out, especially with Biden’s Department of Justice filing suit against Tennessee on similar grounds. But like many issues in the past, from abortion to guns, the final call may go to the Supreme Court.

transgender flag blowing

Here Are The Left-Wing Legal Groups Backing Trans Procedures On Kids

ACLU

finance

George Soros

Transgender

transgender surgery

The U.S. Supreme Court turned down the National Association for Gun Rights and a firearms retailer&#8217;s Second Amendment emergency appeal on Wednesday to block Illinois&#8217; new gun control law.
&#8220;The application for a writ of injunction pending appeal presented to Justice Barrett and by her referred to the Court is denied,&#8221; the Court <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/051723zr_3314.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in an unsigned order with no dissents about the National Assn. for Gun Rights v. City of Naperville case.
Democratic Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-becomes-9th-state-in-union-to-ban-dozens-of-firearms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protect Illinois Communities Act</a>&#8221; in January, which immediately banned the manufacture or possession of dozens of rapid-fire rifles and pistols, .50-caliber guns, and some attachments.
Illinois enacted the legislation after the Highland Park July 4 parade mass shooting, in which a gunman killed seven victims and wounded dozens of others. The gunman used a Smith &amp; Wesson M&amp;P15 semi-automatic rifle he legally purchased in 2020 despite the alleged killer&#8217;s documented history of threatening and suicidal actions.
According to the bill, the law requires Illinoisans who already own such firearms to register them with the state no later than January 1, 2024. Gun makers can only sell firearms to suppliers in other states, and owners of the newly-banned guns in the state can still keep the devices on their private properties.
Illinois residents possessing unregistered firearms listed in the new law could face a misdemeanor charge on the first offense and a felony charge for subsequent offenses.
Robert Bevis, the owner of Law Weapons &amp; Supply gun store in Naperville, and the gun rights group challenged Naperville&#8217;s ordinance, arguing that it violates the Second Amendment.
&#8220;The challenged laws ban arms commonly possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes,&#8221; lawyers for Bevis <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22A948/264471/20230426135957029_Motion%20in%20S%20Ct.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals judges last month.
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Bevis&#8217; attorneys referenced a 2008 ruling by the Supreme Court on the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller case, which found that a categorical ban on arms held by law-abiding citizens is unconstitutional.
&#8220;One would suppose that the district court would apply the Heller test or, failing that, at least explain why it believed the test is not applicable,&#8221; the attorneys wrote. &#8220;The district court did neither. It erred when it simply ignored Heller&#8217;s central holding. Nowhere in its opinion does it apply, or even acknowledge, Heller&#8217;s holding in this regard.&#8221;
The National Association of Gun Rights echoed similar points in its application, citing the Supreme Court decision to strike down New York state&#8217;s concealed carry law in the New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen case.
&#8220;This is an exceedingly simple case,&#8221; the group wrote. &#8220;The Second Amendment protects arms that are commonly possessed by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes, especially self-defense in the home. In the teeth of this Court&#8217;s precedents, the district court refused to address the evidence that the arms banned by the challenged laws are held by millions of law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes.&#8221;
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago will reportedly hear arguments on the case in June. For now, Illinois law will remain in place following the Supreme Court&#8217;s order.

U.S. Supreme Court Turns Down Emergency Appeal To Block Illinois Gun Control Law

Gun Control

Social Issues

Supreme Court

Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a> will visit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a> Friday afternoon to meet with the two former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Democrat state House lawmakers who were expelled on Thursday over their actions that included leading chants from the chamber, disrupting the floor session.
Harris joined a host of other Democrats in condemning the expulsion, including President Joe Biden, Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.B. Pritzker</a> (D-IL), and former President Barack Obama, who claimed that America was founded on &#8220;peaceful protest.&#8221;
“Six people, including three children, were killed last week in a school shooting in Nashville. How did Republican lawmakers in Tennessee respond? By expelling their colleagues who stood with Tennesseans and said enough is enough. This is undemocratic and dangerous,” Harris <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/1644310943050997761" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> on Friday.
It is unclear if Harris will visit any of the families of the victims of the recent shooting at The Covenant School, a Christian school in Nashville, where a woman who identified as transgender murdered six people. The Daily Wire reached out to the White House for comment and attempted to reach the vice president’s media office by phone, but was told by a White House switchboard operator that the numbers for her office were not connecting.
Victims of the shooting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-identify-victims-in-nashville-christian-school-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> Evelyn Dieckhaus (9), Hallie Scruggs (9), William Kinney (9), Cynthia Peak (61), Katherine Koonce (60), and Mike Hill (61).
Harris will also use the trip as an opportunity to call for increased gun control. “While in Tennessee, the Vice President will make clear what happened in Nashville, continue to call on Congress to renew the assault weapons ban, and ensure that in Tennessee and across the nation, the voices of our young people are heard,&#8221; one White Official <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-make-surprise-tennessee-visit-2-democrats-expelled-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News.
On Thursday afternoon, Nashville Democrat Rep. Justin Jones <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gop-expels-democrat-following-state-capitol-storming" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was expelled</a> from the House in a vote of 72-25 and Memphis Democrat Justin Pearson was expelled in a vote of 69-26. During debate on his expulsion, Jones admitted to sneaking a bullhorn into the chamber under his coat, after which he led chants with people sitting in the balcony.
A third Democrat, Knoxville Rep. Gloria Johnson, escaped expulsion by one vote. Throughout the day of the expulsion votes, leftist protesters, mainly younger people and women, chanted and screamed from outside the chamber, including things like “F*** you fascists.”
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Biden called the expulsion &#8220;shocking, undemocratic, and unprecedented” while J.B. Pritzker suggested racism was to blame.
Republican Majority Leader William Lamberth told The Daily Wire on Tuesday that the disruption from the Democratic lawmakers was unprecedented. “It’s never been that three state representatives attempted to incite a riot in the middle of the House floor. It’s dangerous, it’s inappropriate, and it silences the other 96 members,” he said.

Vice President Harris Speaks At Emily’s List Gala

Kamala Harris To Visit 2 Democrats Expelled From Tennessee State House, Push For Gun Control

Barack Obama

Executive

Joe Biden

Kamala Harris

Nashville

Tennessee

Voters in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/wisconsin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wisconsin</a> head to the polls on Tuesday to decide the balance of the state Supreme Court in one of the most expensive court races in history. 
Neither candidate running for the open seat belongs to a political party. Conservative candidate and former Justice Dan Kelly, backed by most Republicans, is facing off against liberal candidate Judge Janet Protasiewicz, the preferred candidate of most Democrats, with the winner determining the ideological slant of the divided court and earning a 10-year term on the court. 
Protasiewicz has reportedly been <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaign/wisconsin-supreme-court-voters-tuesday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backed</a> by donations from left-wing billionaire George Soros and Gov. J.B Pritzker (D-IL), while Kelly has received support from groups like Fair Courts America, a conservative judicial organization. Total spending has exceeded $40 million, an astronomical amount compared to previous years when total spending was only around $10 million. 
Hollywood has even thrown its weight behind Protasiewicz, with director Steven Speilberg contributing to her campaign and actor Mark Ruffalo <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkRuffalo/status/1642894601559191553">encouraging</a> voters to “change the future of Wisconsin by electing Janet Protasiewicz &amp; flipping the state supreme court.”
Both candidates have suggested that the other is unfit to serve, with Kelly pointing to Protasiewicz&#8217;s left-wing ties and claiming she has a <a href="https://freebeacon.com/elections/liberal-wisconsin-supreme-court-nom-let-off-domestic-abuser-he-was-later-convicted-of-attempted-murder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soft-on-crime</a> sentencing history, while Protasiewicz linked Kelly to attempts to challenge the 2020 presidential election in the Badger State. 
“This election is about protecting the Rule of Law. My opponent has promised to force her personal politics on everyone in Wisconsin. She would choose the Rule of Janet over the Rule of Law. We cannot let her win,” Kelly <a href="https://twitter.com/JusticeDanKelly/status/1641446503540736002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week. 
During a debate earlier this year, Protasiewicz <a href="https://www.wpr.org/dan-kelly-janet-protasiewicz-debate-wisconsin-supreme-court-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that she was “running against probably one of the most extreme partisan characters in the history of the state.&#8221; 
Though officially non-partisan, the candidates have nearly polar opposite views, with Protasiewicz openly championing her support for abortion and Kelly receiving the endorsements of key pro-life groups in the state. Protasiewicz had an ad <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcJ-fATj2uc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featuring a woman</a> celebrating an abortion because the child could have been born with disabilities. 
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The election could be a deciding factor in a case over Wisconsin’s 1849 abortion ban, which became relevant after Roe v. Wade was overturned last summer. 
The candidates could also play a key role in deciding the fate of other laws in the state, including election integrity measures, election maps, and gun laws. Last year, the state made a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wisconsin-supreme-court-bans-uses-of-drop-boxes-in-elections" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bombshell ruling</a>, saying that Wisconsin voters could not turn their ballots into unmanned drop boxes and that voters would not be allowed to give them to others to drop off for them. This case, decided 4-3, would likely have been different with a different balance on the court. 
Republicans currently control the state&#8217;s general assembly, but Democrat Gov. Tony Evers won re-election in November, meaning lawmakers are limited in what laws they can get passed.

USA, Wisconsin, Madison, State Capitol building at sunset

Wisconsin Voters Head To The Polls To Decide Balance Of State Supreme Court

Abortion

Criminal Justice

Elections

Judge

Judges

Wisconsin

There are no <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">students</a> proficient at grade level in math or reading at dozens of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illinois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illinois</a> public schools, according to a new report from a nonprofit research organization. 
The <a href="https://wirepoints.org/not-a-single-student-can-do-math-at-grade-level-in-53-illinois-schools-for-reading-its-30-schools-wirepoints/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Wirepoints found that at 30 Illinois schools, no students can read at grade level, while at 53 schools, no student is proficient in math. The schools are primarily located in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chicago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago</a> area, and the spending per student varied in 2022 from about $6,000 to more than $50,000. 
“The absolute failure to teach even a single child to read and do math in so many schools is yet another indictment of the state’s educational system,” the report says. 
One school referenced by Wirepoints is Spry Community Links High School, located in Chicago, where none of the 88 students are proficient in either math or reading despite the school spending more than $35,000 per student each year. 
Another Chicago school, Douglas Academy High School, spends over $56,000 per student yearly, but none of its 44 students can read or perform math at a proficient level. 
Twenty-two of the 30 schools with dismal reading scores were located in the Chicago area, while more than 30 of the 53 schools with students who aren&#8217;t proficient in math are also in the Windy City. 
Wirepoint noted that in 622 Illinois schools, only one in ten students could read at grade level, while the same ratio stands true for math at 930 schools. 
“Defenders of the current system are sure to invoke COVID as the big reason for the low scores. But a look at the 2019 numbers show that the reading and math numbers were only slightly better than they are now,” the report added. 
According to Chicago Public Schools, the lower scores can be attributed to the pandemic, and several schools included in the Wirepoints report are designated for those who have previously dropped out. 
“The majority of schools listed in the recent Wirepoints report are CPS Options Schools which serve students who re-enrolled after dropping out. Options Schools serve some of our most vulnerable students who face higher rates of challenges related to special education, housing instability, involvement in the justice system, and victimization. The combination of these challenges lead to higher rates of mobility, transiency, chronic absenteeism, and disengagement from school for extended periods of time,” the school district <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/53-illinois-high-schools-fail-achieve-grade-level-proficiency-math-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement to Fox News. 
The report comes as Illinois Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.B. Pritzker</a> has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illinois-governor-backs-including-black-queer-theory-other-controversial-lessons-in-african-american-studies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voiced support</a> for elements of a proposed AP African American Studies <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/education">curriculum</a>. In a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23587330/collegeboard_letter.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the College Board, Pritzker said it was necessary for the curriculum to include the history of &#8220;black queer Americans.&#8221; 
He also asked for a nearly 10 percent <a href="https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.26066.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase</a> in state funding for education in his recent State of the State address.

Education concept

More Than 30 Illinois Public Schools Have No Students Proficient In Math Or Reading: Report

Education

Illinois Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/j-b-pritzker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.B. Pritzker</a> praised a proposed AP African American Studies <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curriculum</a> that includes “black queer” theory and has been criticized by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as pushing Left-wing activism under the guise of history.
The curriculum, developed by the College Board and currently undergoing <a href="https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/about-ap/how-ap-develops-courses-and-exams/pilot-ap-african-american-studies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pilots</a> at five dozen high schools across the nation, reportedly focuses on radical leftist beliefs. The Florida Department of Education, which mandates traditional black history in public schools, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/contrary-to-florida-law-desantis-rejects-high-school-course-emerging-nationwide-over-wokeness-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> the material as “contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value,” and called on the influential organization to revise it to be “historically accurate.”
Pritzker, however, said he supports weaving in lessons on such subjects as &#8220;black queer&#8221; perspectives, &#8220;intersectionality&#8221; and the so-called reparations movement.
“Illinois expects any AP course offered on African American studies to include a factual accounting of history, including the role played by black queer Americans,&#8221; Pritzker said. &#8220;Illinois will closely examine the official coursework to ensure it includes all necessary history, starting with this nation’s foundation built on slavery, the Civil War where this nation reckoned with that history, and the decades of rebuilding and efforts of black Americans to continue their fight for equality and equity to this day.”
AP courses are university-level classes offered in some high schools and often translate to college credit. Pritzker said in a <a href="https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000185-ebca-d065-a59d-fbdfc8e10000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> addressed to College Board CEO David Coleman that the nonprofit should “preserve the fundamental right to an education” regardless of “political grandstanding” from Florida Republicans.
While supporters of teaching African American studies have argued for including sometimes controversial cultural aspects, some critics assert that such courses often serve as a front for teaching Left-wing advocacy and grievance studies. DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/theyre-advocating-for-things-like-abolishing-prisons-desantis-discusses-why-he-banned-african-american-studies-course" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the current version of the AP African American Studies curriculum includes radical theoretical policies such as abolishing prisons.
“They’re advocating things like abolishing prisons,&#8221; said DeSantis, who last year signed into a law a measure that bars Florida public schools from teaching discrimination on the basis of race, color, or sex. &#8220;Now that’s a radical political position,” he told reporters. “You’re free to take that in your own life, I don’t think very many people think that would actually work, but how is that being taught as fact?”
The College Board recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/college-board-will-release-framework-for-controversial-african-american-studies-course-on-first-day-of-black-history-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that the course will undergo revisions before its public release in February, a move meant to correspond with the advent of Black History Month.

Illinois Gov. Pritzker Attends Transgender Support Rally In Chicago

Illinois Governor Backs Including ‘Black Queer’ Theory, Other Controversial Lessons In African American Studies

Illinois Governor Backs Including 'Black Queer' Theory, Other Controversial Lessons In African American Studies

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