Press Releases

Pacione-Zayas statement on guilty verdict in Ahmaud Arbery trial

: Published: Monday, November 29, 2021 09:10 AM

CHICAGO - "While the guilty verdict delivered by the Georgia jury in the Arbery trial is a relief that accountability can be delivered in the criminal legal system, true justice would ensure Ahmaud Arbery’s heart would still be beating today and that he would break bread with his family tomorrow. I stand in solidarity with his loved ones through these complex times.

"The perpetrators’ motivations in carrying out the murder are yet another indication that the work ahead continues to be multifaceted and layered involving eradicating structural racism and transforming multiple systems to ensure justice for all. I commit to the disciplined work of collaborating with community to design solutions that center lived experience, healing-centered engagement, and produce outcomes so we all thrive."

Category: Press Releases

Pacione-Zayas offers statement on Rittenhouse verdict

: Published: Friday, November 19, 2021 06:04 PM

CHICAGO – Following the not guilty verdict of Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) issued the following statement:

“On August 25, 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse traveled from our state into Wisconsin to access a deadly weapon and shot two people. Today, a jury found him not guilty of the charges brought against him.

“I am deeply disappointed, yet not surprised, to witness the court reach this decision. It doesn‘t escape me how the process and outcome would likely be radically different for people of color, namely Black men and women, who are rarely granted the right to a trial, let alone a fair trial.

While the perpetrator might have been in Wisconsin, his roots lie here in Illinois. The trial might have been in Wisconsin, but the broken criminal legal system that protects White faces at the cost of Black lives is also present here in Illinois. The victims were shot in Wisconsin, but the failure of justice their families face today is felt by countless families here in Illinois.

All across this country, we must take responsibility for the society and systems that caused this verdict because it goes beyond a trial. Today like too many days before serves as a reminder. We must renew our commitment to work in community, to build a justice system worthy of its name.

“My thoughts are with the loved ones of the two young men killed that day, Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, as well as Jacob Blake who also lives with a permanent reminder that justice was failed today.”

Category: Press Releases

Fayette County welcomes Sen. Pacione-Zayas for farm visits

: Published: Thursday, November 04, 2021 01:43 PM

FAYETTE COUNTY – As part of its Adopt-a-Legislator® program, the Fayette County Farm Bureau welcomed State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) to multiple farms in downstate Illinois to learn about their operations and further develop relationships with farmers in the state.

“The time spent in Fayette County with my family during our tours of the fields and farms was enlightening,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Maintaining connections to the land and relationships with farmers across the state is important for bridging the gap between urban and rural communities in Illinois. In the months I’ve been a part of the Adopt-a-Legislator program, you recognize the significance of championing policy that benefits the agriculture industry and our environment so Illinois communities can be sustainable and thriving.”

The Illinois Farm Bureau’s Adopt-A-Legislator® Program, which the Fayette County Farm Bureau is a part of, was developed in 2001 with the purpose of building long-term personal relationships between urban state legislators and farmers from across the state.

This past summer, representatives from The Fayette County Farm Bureau visited the senator in the district she represents to hear about how local stakeholders are pursing urban agriculture, expanding farmers markets, and addressing property tax relief. The senator’s recent visit to Fayette County expanded on that meeting to further her understanding of agricultural and food supply issues in Illinois.

Pacione-Zayas measure to empower local school councils heads to governor’s desk

: Published: Thursday, October 28, 2021 10:10 PM

SPRINGFIELD – To give parents and students in the Chicago Public Schools a stronger voice in how they operate, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago) sponsored a measure to further empower Local School Councils in Chicago while the Board of Education transitions to an elected school board.

“With the passage of the historic Chicago School Reform Act in 1988, Chicago Public Schools leads the nation in facilitating participatory democracy for students, community members and parents through the vehicle of Local School Councils,” Pacione-Zayas said. “By expanding student representation, restoring LSC powers, and transitioning appointed Local School Councils to elected bodies, we are providing greater inclusion and opportunity to increase equity to best serve local school communities.”

Pacione-Zayas statement on guilty verdict in Ahmaud Arbery trial

Pacione-Zayas offers statement on Rittenhouse verdict

Fayette County welcomes Sen. Pacione-Zayas for farm visits

Pacione-Zayas measure to empower local school councils heads to governor’s desk

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