Hunter mourns the loss of Senator Bennett  

CHICAGO – State Senator Mattie Hunter released the following statement after the passing of her respected colleague State Senator Scott Bennett, who she worked closely with on the Executive Appointments Committee: 

“The unexpected news of Senator Bennett’s passing is incredibly saddening. He was a wonderful colleague who loved his job. He was a natural at it all, and he always had ideas on how to make a bill stronger. In just seven years, he made a great name for himself in the Senate. 

“As the chair of the Higher Education Committee, and member of many other committees, he was a very passionate and active professional whose work will live on. He was dedicated to the betterment of his constituency, impacting his community and Illinois at large.

“More than that, he was funny, charismatic and genuine. He adored his wife Stacey and children, and my prayers are with them at this time.”

CPS Job Fair 12.14.2022

Real ID deadline extended again to 2025

Americans will have more time to get the Real ID that they will need to board a flight or enter federal facilities.

The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday an extension of the Real ID deadline until May 7, 2025. The deadline had been May 3, 2023, but needed to be extended again due to the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initial implementation date had been Oct. 1, 2021.

Meanwhile, people are getting compliant IDs as they renew, but it takes time and the process has been slowed by the pandemic, with many state agencies operating at limited capacity.

"Many of these agencies took various steps in response to the pandemic including automatically extending the expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards and shifting operations to appointment only," DHS said, which has created backlogs.

Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.

Older IDs will be suitable to allow people to drive, buy liquor or other age-regulated products, and gamble at casinos. Travelers also can use military IDs or passports to access flights and federal facilities.

CAIR Chicago is hiring

CAIR Chicago is seeking a motivated, detail-oriented self-starter to fill the full-time position of Outreach Coordinator/Manager, which is available immediately. This position is expected to work in their downtown Chicago office and will be a key staff contributor to their team development and community presence. Learn more here.