The Progressive Reform Caucus of the Chicago City Council is a bloc of aldermen in the Chicago City Council that was formed in 2013. Its stated mission statement is "creating a more just and equal Chicago, combating all forms of discrimination, and advancing public policies that offer genuine opportunity to all Chicagoans, especially those who have been left out of our society’s prosperity." As of the 2023–27 term, it had 19 members, out of the council's 50 aldermen.
History The caucus was founded by nine aldermen in 2013, after having informally collaborated since 2012. There had been a "loose amalgamation of self-described progressives" in the council prior to this, but it had not been a formalized organization. Members of the caucus had historically been less aligned with Mayor Rahm Emanuel than average aldermen. The day after the formation of the Progressive Reform Caucus, a group of other aldermen who self-identified as progressives formed the Paul Douglas Alliance, with the goal of working in a more aligned fashion with Mayor Emanuel.
After the 2019 Chicago aldermanic election, several new aldermen who had campaigned as progressives joined the caucus, growing its size from 12 to 18.
The caucus has formed a political action committee (PAC) with the same name. As of June 2020, the largest donors to the PAC were labor unions: SEIU Illinois Council, AFSCME Illinois Council No. 31, and Chicago Teachers Union.
Previous chairs of the caucus have been Scott Waguespack (2015–19), Susan Sadlowski Garza (2019–21), Sophia King (2021–23). The current co-chairs are Maria Hadden and Andre Vasquez (2023–Present).
Membership Members during current term The following table lists aldermen who are affiliated with the Progressive Reform Caucus, as of the 2023–27 term, according to news media reporting. MemberWardJoinedDaniel La Spata12019Lamont Robinson42023Desmon Yancy52023William Hall62023Julia Ramirez122023Jeylú Gutiérrez142023Jeanette Taylor202019Ronnie Mosley212023Michael Rodriguez222019Byron Sigcho-Lopez252019Jessie Fuentes262023Ruth Cruz302023Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez332019Anthony Quezada352025Andre Vasquez402019Angela Clay462023Matt Martin472019Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth482023Maria Hadden492019
Past members MemberWardJoinedLeftSophia King420162023; term endedLeslie Hairston520132023; term endedRoderick Sawyer620132023; term endedSusan Sadlowski Garza1020152023; term endedStephanie Coleman1620192023; did not rejoin caucusDavid Moore1720152023; did not rejoin caucusChris Taliaferro2920152023; did not rejoin caucusFelix Cardona Jr.3120192023; did not rejoin caucusScott Waguespack3220132023; did not rejoin caucusToni Foulkes1620132019; lost re-electionJohn Arena4520132019; lost re-electionRicardo Muñoz2220132019; removed after alleged unauthorized use of caucus PAC fundsAmeya Pawar4720132014Nicholas Sposato36; 3820132016; left due to health issues and ideological disagreementsBob Fioretti220132015; term ended
Number of seats by term TermSize at term startSize at term end2013-15982015-1911102019-23182023-2719
Agenda and actions
2019–23 City Council term In August 2019, ten members of the caucus urged Mayor Lori Lightfoot to address the city's budget deficit by enacting a financial transaction tax or corporate head tax, rather than increasing property taxes or making cuts to city services. A month later, they outlined the specifics of their proposal, further suggesting a tax on office leases, a hotel tax increase, a tax on vacant commercial properties, and a local income tax on those making over $100,000 a year. Furthermore, they proposed a moratorium on the Chicago Police Department budget, a moratorium on privatization of city services, an end to Tax increment financing subsidies in wealthy neighborhoods, and increased spending on affordable housing, mental health, early childhood education, and a youth jobs program. The aldermen suggested that the Progressive Caucus could act as a bloc on these issues in the upcoming budget debate.
In November 2019, in response to Mayor Lightfoot's plan for raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021, the Progressive Caucus pushed to eliminate the tipped minimum wage and allow restaurant workers and others in this category to earn the $15 minimum wage. Later that month, half of the caucus' members (La Spata, Taylor, Rodriguez, Sigcho-Lopez, Rodriguez Sanchez, Ramirez Rosa, Vasquez, Martin, and Hadden) voted against Mayor Lightfoot's proposed annual budget for 2020, which passed by a vote of 39–11.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Progressive Caucus conducted telephone check-ins with senior citizens living in their wards.
During the George Floyd protests in late May and early June 2020, the Progressive Caucus renewed calls for the city to negotiate a new contract with the Chicago Police Department that would include systematic reforms, and introduced a resolution to that effect. In July 2020, the Caucus called for an end to the $33 million contract for police officers to be present in Chicago Public Schools, and for a reinvestment of those funds in alternative strategies for school safety. Later that month, the Caucus criticized the Chicago Police Department for its actions during a July 17 protest in Grant Park and called on the Chicago Park District to remove the park's statue of Christopher Columbus.
See also Chicago Aldermanic Black Caucus Chicago City Council Democratic Socialist Caucus Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Chicago City Council LGBT Caucus
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