Christopher Sims

In Rockford, we are witnessing a troubling betrayal. The REGROW cannabis tax revenue — funds explicitly created to repair the harm done to Black communities by decades of discriminatory drug policies — is now being eyed to plug a budget hole. Let’s be clear: this is not just a fiscal decision. It’s a moral failure. Black residents in Rockford have long been the backbone of progressive change. We show up. We vote. We organize. We believe in justice.