Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
The legal fight continues over a referendum that asks Chicago voters if the city should increase the real estate transfer tax on high-end properties to fund homelessness prevention.
In today’s newsletter, we’ll unpack the latest development in this referendum saga that you need to know.
Plus, we’ve got reporting on how a University of Chicago board game group is sharpening its members’ English, a no-fuss restaurant rec from one of our reporters and more community news. 👇
Thanks for spending a little bit of this unseasonably warm afternoon with us.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
Chicago’s elections board votes to appeal ruling invalidating Bring Chicago Home referendum
Reporting by Tessa Weinberg and Fran Spielman
City will appeal: The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners decided Tuesday it will appeal a ruling invalidating a referendum question known as Bring Chicago Home. The proposal is one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top priorities and has been a longtime goal of progressive organizers.
Question still on ballots: The referendum remains on the ballot for people voting early or who are receiving them by mail. Cook County Judge Kathleen Burke ordered any votes cast for or against the referendum question to not be counted and for the results to not be publicly released.
Why weigh in?: Both advocates and opponents of the ballot question encourage people to vote on it anyway. “Voters should absolutely treat this as if it were a live issue and a binding referendum because there’s no telling what the appellate court might end up doing,” said Michael Forde, a managing partner of the Forde & O’Meara law firm.
What is being asked: The referendum asks voters to decide whether to authorize the City Council to quadruple the real estate transfer tax on the value of property transactions $1.5 million and over and triple the tax on the value of sales from $1 million to $1.5 million. The tax on home sales costing under $1 million would go down. The money would be used to address homelessness, with the measure’s supporters pointing to rental subsidies and mental health care as some of the potential uses.
Possible outcomes: Election Day is less than a month away. Forde said the tight timeline could make it difficult for the appeals process to be completed before March 19 — and it’s entirely possible a final decision on the referendum’s status and whether it is legally valid may not come until after the primary.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Learning via Dungeons and Dragons: At University of Chicago, students are learning English by playing the board game Dungeons and Dragons and at a weekly club. Playing board games is a kind of “exposure therapy,” putting students on the spot while also encouraging them to open up, professor Shane Dunkle said.
- Hit and run roils Portage Park: A stretch of road in Portage Park has become a danger for cyclists, according to residents and the local alderperson, in the wake of a crash that sent another teenage bicyclist to an intensive care unit.
- Who’s on first? Political lore has long held that candidates gain an electoral edge when they’re listed first on the ballot, especially for offices that many people aren’t familiar with. A large body of research also backs up the ballot order benefit, suggesting the top position can net a candidate an extra three percentage points in many races — more than enough to swing a close contest.
- Northwest Side state Senate rematch: While state Sen. Natalie Toro and Chicago Teachers Union organizer Graciela Guzman reprise their battle for a pivotal Logan Square seat, major campaign dollars also figure to flow into a fiercely contested southwest suburban statehouse race.
- Ex-Bear coaching high school: During a news conference attended by media, unusual for a high school football announcement, former Bears kicker Robbie Gould was welcomed Tuesday as Rolling Meadows’ newest coach.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🍟
Eat at Sam’s Chicken & Ribs
I recently talked with general assignment reporter Violet Miller, who suggests stopping by Sam’s Chicken & Ribs in Edgewater for a delicious, no-fuss meal.
Just steps away from the Granville station, Violet tells me this restaurant was her go-to for a late-night meal when she attended nearby Loyola University — and it’s still just as good today as it has always been.
“For a college student coming home late from seeing bands play across the city, there’s nothing more beautiful than a lit, neon ‘open’ sign on a restaurant between the L station and their dorm,” Violet says. “For me, that oasis was Sam’s Chicken and Ribs, serving Indian and Mexican food alongside seafood, burgers, and of course, ribs until 3 a.m. back in the day [2019].”
Why you should go: “The staff is incredibly kind, and it’s common to see regulars walking in to their order being recited to them before they can say it,” Violet says.
Quality maintained: “Since they’re no longer open until the early hours of the morning, now closing at 11:30 p.m., it just means my late night, post-concert dinners have been replaced by reporting lunches whenever I’m in the neighborhood — one of my favorite parts of the job,” Violet says.
What to order: Whatever you try on the menu, be sure to get the fries, Violet says. “They’re just always very fresh. You can tell they haven’t been frozen — and they come in huge portions.”
📍Sam’s Chicken & Ribs, 1102 W. Granville Ave.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Return of Chicago’s Winter Jazz Fair strikes a chord with community
Reporting by Isabel Funk
Jazzy tunes and crowds of all ages filled the auditoriums of the Chicago Cultural Center as the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Winter Jazz Fair made its long-awaited return Friday.
After a 10-year hiatus, executive director Heather Ireland Robinson said she and the community decided it was time to bring back the free fair.
“It really is a celebration of the Chicago jazz community,” Robinson said.
The fair, held all day Friday, brought in diverse crowds, and Robinson estimated about 700 people stopped in throughout the day. It showcased nine hours of music from more than 10 Chicago-based performance groups, educational panel discussions and local vendors.
John Foster, managing director of programs and education initiatives, said he was “really stoked” to see so many people showing up and enjoying the music. “This whole day is, in my eyes, almost like a big family reunion, like a community gathering,” he said.
Chicago band leader Pharez Whitted invited all of the students present to the stage to dance and “doo-wop.” Jules Davis, 11, said he was happy to go on stage.
“It was fun for me because I got to hit my dougie and I got to sing,” he said. Jules added that he likes jazz because “It’s smooth and it makes you go to sleep easy.”
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
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