The Latest Breaking News from Anthony Beale

End of an era in Chicago politics as Burke chooses retirement over uphill battle for a record 15th term

Indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th) chose not to seek reelection to a record 15th term in a ward dramatically redrawn to eliminate his most favorable precincts.

Chicago Sun-Times · Nov 28, 2022

CTA funding plan for $3.6 billon Red Line extension uses almost $1 billion in property taxes

To extend the Red Line to 130th Street, the CTA hopes to land a $2.16 billion federal grant and must come up with $1.44 billion to match it. To do that, it plans to raise $950 million through a special tax district for transit projects.

Chicago Sun-Times · Aug 2, 2022

New round of traffic tickets issued to mayor’s security detail

Three speed-camera tickets, two speed-cam warnings and one red-light ticket over the last 14 months have rivals accusing Mayor Lori Lightfoot of a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to traffic safety.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jul 26, 2022

Lightfoot suffers embarrassing defeat — at the expense of speeding motorists

The Finance Committee vote was 16 to 15 to raise the 6 mph threshold that has generated an avalanche of tickets and $59 million in additional revenue since Lightfoot lowered the bar in March 2021.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jun 21, 2022

Chicago City Council passes new ward map after bitter fight, avoiding voter referendum

CHICAGO — The Chicago City Council adopted a new map of the city’s 50 wards Monday, forestalling a ballot referendum on competing designs by Black and Latino aldermen and their allies and ending a racially charged confrontation over the boundaries between the two groups.

Chicago Tribune · May 17, 2022

Ward map battle over, but bitterness lingers

“Look what you’ve done. Englewood still has six aldermen. … It’s gonna take an hour and a half for Altgeld Gardens residents who were taken out of my ward and put in the 10th Ward to get to their alderman,” Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), said Monday.

Chicago Sun-Times · May 16, 2022

Lightfoot’s gas and transit giveaways hit rough patch — even after income threshold reduced

Many City Council members questioned the mayor’s motives. Others noted the $12.5 million cost and wondered if improving security should come first. The prepaid cards would cover about two tanks of gas or five CTA round-trips.

Chicago Sun-Times · Apr 6, 2022

Plan to create position of legislative counsel stalls again

Unless she is re-elected, Mayor Lori Lightfoot may never face a council with its own parliamentarian to counter her rulings from the chair. On Wednesday, a new and improved legislative counsel ordinance championed by Ald. Anthony Beale was held in committee.

Chicago Sun-Times · Mar 16, 2022

Lightfoot granted emergency contracting authority at wild City Council meeting

Wednesday’s meeting also featured a protracted floor fight over an attempt by Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) to force an immediate vote on his long-stalled plan to empower the City Council to hire its own legislative counsel.

Chicago Sun-Times · Jan 26, 2022