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The aldermen are talking over each other and have been repeatedly reminded to be quiet during roll call.
"How do I mute myself now?"
Ald. Carrie Austin, who'd been out with coronavirus, is back and leading the council in prayer.
There are 47 aldermen present. It's public comment time.
Marie Henderson of 37th Ward: "I am in support of a state of emergency where we can all sit down together and hopefully have participation from many of the residents from the West Side, South Side and the North Side. And I think that there's a lack of equity in that situation."
No further speakers. No one else signed up.
Now they're talking about the resolution "requesting the Illinois governor to issue an immediate declaration of a state of emergency in Chicago and deployment of the Illinois National Guard to augment and assist the Chicago Police Department for a four-month" period.
Ald. Chris Taliaferro: "I cannot go without saying" — and it cuts out? "I apologize, madam president, I was muted by the host for some reason."
Taliaferro: "I cannot go without saying that I've always had the deepest respect for each of you. Governance of this great city ... requires significant commitment and significant passion."
Taliaferro: He has "respect and admiration for what each of us has to do." But he's questioning "the true intent" of this meeting. The matters before them don't rise to the level of an emergency.
Taliaferro: "We've had one public speaker on this matter today, and the public speaker herself said that she would welcome open comment and an opportunity to engage as the public." He believes they're present so aldermen can air grievances against Lightfoot.
Taliaferro: "I'd rather not be used as a pawn in that process."
Taliaferro to aldermen: "I ask that, as I have respected you, I ask that you respect the open process and democratic process of this body and refer this matter to the Committee on Public Safety so that it can be properly addressed."
This echoes how Lightfoot said the aldermen calling this meeting were "grandstanding."
Ald. Anthony Beale: "This is not a dictatorship, madam president; this is a democracy and I would like to speak on the motion."
Ald. Ray Lopez, who has a contentious relationship with Lightfoot: He wants aldermen to reject the motion to the refer the resolution. "We are in a state of emergency int he city of Chicago. We have been 3 months since the rioting and looting that took place ... when questions...
"were first asked, 'What's the plan?' There have been no hearings by any committee regarding what that plan is. So I am sorry if people feel offended, but this is where we are today; we are here because we have not had a public discussion on what the plan is for the city of ...
"Chicago. This is not personal against anyone in this room. But it is personal for everyone who calls themselves a Chicagoan trying to save their city."
Lopez: "Simply brushing this aside to a committee that will happen and report out after Labor Day in the next month, or even later, is not satisfactory for me. It is not satisfactory to the people I represent. And it absolutely is not what the Chicagoans we all were elected to...
"represent want to see."
Beale, who also has a contentious relationship with Lightfoot: "When you look around, just last night, a 78-year-old woman was shot in the chest. The day before that, six people were shot in Auburn Gresham. There seems to be no end to the violence in this city of Chicago. ...
"Calling for a state of emergency is just asking for the National Guard to come in and assist our business districts and certain areas that are important to the community to free up the resources we so badly need in our communities."
Beale: "Our police are working 12-hour days. Their days off are being canceled. We need to give them some kind of relief." The National Guard wouldn't patrol; they'd "aid and assist."
Beale: "There are certain areas in each and every one of our communities that deserve to be protected just like the gem of this city, which is Downtown. ... My community wants to be protected, as well. My community deserves to be protected, as well."
Beale: "This is not personal. This is grandstanding. This is a hail Mary to save our community from the things that are happening every single day."
Ald. Anthony Napolitano, who was also part of the group that called for this meeting: "Right now, we are 3 months into turmoil, destruction, looting and rioting that should be acting as our guest speakers and our witness testimony. ... All of you are losing police in all of ...
"your wards due to the point we have to secure the Downtown area, which is much understood, but at the same time" we're leaving the rest of the city open.
He also denies he's "grandstanding."
He also denies he's "grandstanding."
A child's voice can be heard. Lightfoot again reminds people to mute people when they're not speaking.
They're now voting on the motion to call the question, which means that they proceed immediately so they can vote to refer to the resolution to committee.
39 yays, 8 nays.
Now they're voting on actually moving the motion to committee.
30 yays, 17 nays. That means the resolution goes to Committee on Public Safety.
Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson motions for the last vote to be reconsidered. Overwhelming nays.
Lightfoot: Now there's a resolution calling for monthly budget committee hearings.
Ald. Pat Dowell: She's disappointed and offended not one of the sponsors of the resolution contacted her to discuss it.
Dowell: "Had a call been made, I would have provided the sponsors with a tentative schedule of the community outreach we will be doing in advance of the budget hearings ... no different than was done last year."
Lopez: "That is the biggest understatement I've heard to date because things are way different than" last year.
Lopez: "We have not had a single meeting to see if where we've budgeted money is in alignment with the" needs of residents.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez: It's difficult to have debate. "I do think we need to differentiate the issues and be very clear about what is happening here. ... Even Eric Trump seems to have more luck getting responses than some people in the South Side and the West Side ... ."
Sigcho-Lopez: "That disparity is getting people so frustrated because we do have an emergency, indeed. We are not going to solve this emergency with more repression. ... How is bringing in the National Guard gonna solve our problems?"
Sigcho-Lopez: They owe it to the people to have a serious debate.
Ald. David Moore is attempting to speak, but Lightfoot appears to be having technical difficulties and doesn't seem to be hearing anyone.
Beale: He takes exception to the "scripted colleagues." He says he's not getting answers to his questions.
Ald. Leslie Hairston: "The reason for this, I think, is my colleagues' frustration with not getting enough information up to date. Your office has responded and, I think, we are achieving what our intentions were, which was to get the discussion going. There's a lot going on ...
"in this city, and people were not hearing from their elected officials collectively."
Now voting on a motion to call the question.
37 yays, 10 nays.
They'll now vote on referring the resolution to committee.
The motion passes, 44-4.
Ald. Gregory Mitchell moves to adjourn.
Lopez(?) trying to speak, but you can hear a baby and then Lightfoot: "The baby sounds cute, but we need to proceed with our business."
This meeting was effectively about some of the aldermen showing Lightfoot they're upset because they think they're being left out of decisions and announcements.
40 yays, 7 nays. Meeting adjourned.
Sounded like Beale trying to object, saying there were three items on the agenda. But meeting adjourned.
Lightfoot will now talk to reporters at 12:45. Check back and I'll live tweet that.
