CHICAGO – Mercy Hospital announced plans to close by May 2021 last month, and State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) is advocating against it, saying Mercy should remain open.

“This decision could devastate our community, which is already struggling in the middle of this global pandemic,” Hunter said. “Mercy owners requested hundreds of millions of dollars just to close it down, and turn it into a clinic. But we don’t need a clinic, we need a hospital, which has the resources necessary to save lives in times of urgency and in times of severe illness.”

CHICAGO – In an effort to provide support to small business owners facing economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) announced more than $3 million in Business Interruption Grants for hundreds of businesses in her district.

“I am pleased businesses in my district received $3 million in Business Interruption Grants,” Hunter said. “First, businesses in my community were devastated by COVID-19, followed by civil unrest and looting. My heart goes out to them for all the hardships they’ve faced these past several months. People put their whole lives into their businesses, and deserve to see their hard work pay off.”

CHICAGO – In light of the recent civil unrest on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile ignited by conflicting reports on a shooting in Englewood, State Senator Mattie Hunter (D-Chicago) called for more transparency and togetherness in her community at a press conference Wednesday.

“My heart is aching for my community, as the Southside, Westside and downtown areas have been struggling with looting and effects of the pandemic since May,” Hunter said. “The saddest part is – many of the looters are not even from our neighborhoods. They come from out of town, they take what they want, and the underprivileged communities get the blame.“

(The following op-ed from Senator Mattie Hunter was submitted to the Chicago Tribune on July 28, 2020)

For the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board to say our federal aid request had “little to do with public health” is disingenuous at best and a flat out lie at worst.

That request specifically asked for the single largest public health investment in Illinois minority communities in modern history.

It is an overdue investment.

It comes at a time when people in Black and Brown communities are being infected, hospitalized and dying at rates exceeding any other community.

It comes as a time when there is growing recognition of these communities’ economic, social and human needs being ignored decade after decade.

That’s why we sought $1 billion in public health investment targeted to these underserved, disproportionately impacted neighborhoods. We also requested hardship pay for the heroes working on the front lines against this virus in health care facilities.

The Tribune Editorial Board skipped all that.

Those are especially hard items to overlook given they were included in Tribune news coverage. Perhaps the Editorial Board should read the paper.

The Tribune Editorial Board’s views on federal relief are stunningly tone deaf at a time when millions of Illinoisans are facing unemployment, food insecurity and lingering racial divisions. I could point out the numerous errors in their argument and judgement, but that’s another letter for another time.

The Editorial Board may score political points in some circles with its finger wagging refrain. I hope it satisfies them. The rest of us will remain focused on getting Illinois through this crisis.