The Chicago Tribune is reporting  that Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno (D-1st Ward) is blocking the construction of a Chick-fil-A in his ward because he disagrees with owner Dan Cathy’s beliefs about marriage. Since Dan Cathy’s beliefs are explicitly religious, Moreno’s effort would seem to violate the Illinois Human Rights Act  which states the following:

                It is the public policy of this State:

(A)   Freedom from Unlawful Discrimination. To secure for all individuals within Illinois the freedom from discrimination against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age marital status, physical or mental handicap, military status, sexual orientation, or unfavorable discharge from military service in connection with employment, real estate transactions, access to financial credit, and the availability of public accommodations.

The Tribune further reports that “Mayor Rahm Emanuel backed Moreno’s ideological viewpoint, saying the city does not share the values espoused by Dan Cathy, president of the family-owned Chick-fil-A fast-food restaurant chain.” Really? The entire city of Chicago rejects the belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman? To whom exactly is King Rahm referring? Does he speak for all of the little people in his kingdom?

Moreno has decided that no one who wishes to do business in his ward can express the belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. The hubris and ignorance in his words and actions are astonishing. The threat to speech rights and religious liberty, frightening.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to let Alderman Joe Moreno know that his actions constitute an intolerant affront to many Illinoisans, threaten religious liberty and speech rights, and demonstrate a profound lack of respect for diversity.  Please be respectful in your comments.

More ACTION:  Pro-family groups across the country are calling for a Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day on Wednesday, August 1st.  IFI would like to encourage you to patronize a local restaurant, if you are able. For a list of Chick-fil-A locations in the state of Illinois, click HERE.

It’s not enough just to be concerned!
We need you to take action too!

Late last month we alerted you to the threat of yet another push to expand predatory gambling in the state of Illinois.  In today’s Chicago Sun-Times, columnist Michael Sneed reports that Governor Patrick Quinn “had a ‘nice’ chat recently with Arlington Racetrack impresario Dick Duchossois” at the Kentucky Derby.  The suggestion is that progress was made in negotiating for a Chicago casino and financial help for the failing horse racing industry.

Confirming that rumor, IFI lobbyists tell us that a new gambling expansion proposal is imminent.  

Gov. Quinn has consistently said that he’s opposed to video slot machines at tracks. But State Representative Lou Lang (D-Skokie), perhaps the state’s leading proponent for gambling expansion,  continues to push this anti-family, anti-business agenda.  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is also lobbying for a downtown casino, promising to invest the city’s ill-gotten booty into investment projects including school renovations and other capital projects.

With two weeks to go in the Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly, our state lawmakers need to hear from their constituents.  Make no mistake, your state representative and state senator are hearing from dozens of pro-gambling lobbyists, who are putting on a full court press in these final days of the Session.  Every lawmaker needs to hear from dozens and dozens of people back home in their districts.

Take ACTION:  Click HERE to send an email or a fax to both state lawmakers.  Tell them to stop playing games with gambling expansion and to focus on the hard work the people of Illinois sent them to Springfield to tackle:  Pension and Medicaid Reform.

Rep. Lou Lang is drafting an amendment to a (shell) bill passed in the Senate, according to the Chicago Tribune. If the bill passes in the House, the bill would go back to the Senate for a vote, but no amendments will be added according to Rep. Lang.

The Chicago Sun-Times recently published an editorial supporting a casino in Chicago and slots at six racetracks. The new Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, has expressed interest in a city-owned casino, and Governor Quinn is “open to discussing proposals” that raise revenue, create jobs and lead to greater investment in schools, as noted in the editorial.

Gambling interests promise more than they can deliver. The 10th casino license is scheduled to open in July, and promised to bring in about $9 million in revenue each year for the city of Des Plaines. The Daily Herald reported that based on the latest projections by a bipartisan state commission and the city’s own independent research, the city will only receive $2 million to $4 million — the cost of one fire truck!

The legislative session is scheduled to end on May 31. Legislators still have many issues to address. Gambling is an unstable source of revenue. Ramming a massive gambling expansion bill through in the final days of the session will not solve the revenue problems for Chicago or the State, and the cost, harm, and impact on communities are not even being considered.

Take ACTION: Click HERE to send your lawmakers an email or a fax to encourage them to oppose any bill to yet again expand gambling in the Land of Lincoln.

More Action:

1. Call your State Representative and Senator at             (217) 782-2000       and ask them to Vote NO on ALL gambling bills.

2. Call Governor Quinn at             (800) 642-3112       to ask him to OPPOSE a Chicago casino, slots at race tracks, and ALL gambling expansion.

3. Write a Letter to the Editor

4. Share this Alert with your faith community and PRAY.

5. Forward to 10 others.