Lawmakers Call For Ticketing And Debt Collection Reform

By Nereida Moreno
Parking Ticket
A car on Chicago's West Side with a ticket on Oct. 24, 2018. Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas introduced a proposal Wednesday to make changes to help residents pay tickets. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
Parking Ticket
A car on Chicago's West Side with a ticket on Oct. 24, 2018. Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas introduced a proposal Wednesday to make changes to help residents pay tickets. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

Lawmakers Call For Ticketing And Debt Collection Reform

By Nereida Moreno
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The Chicago City Council has approved the first reforms to help low-income residents cope with crippling debt following a WBEZ-ProPublica Illinois investigation into ticketing disparities.

The city’s ticketing and debt collection system punishes motorists who can’t afford to pay tickets and has failed to generate projected revenue.

Morning Shift talks to WBEZ’s Elliott Ramos and ProPublica Illinois’ Melissa Sanchez for an update on the story.

GUESTS: Elliott Ramos, WBEZ data reporter and digital editor

Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica Illinois reporter

LEARN MORE: Chicago City Council Approves Modest First Reforms on Ticketing and Debt (ProPublica Illinois 11/14/18)