Party-line vote and a party

By Shia Kapos

With help from Olivia Olander

Bonjour and Happy Birthday to Illinois , which became a state Dec. 3, 1818!

Democrats embraced after the Illinois House passed an amendment revising the SAFE-T Act on Thursday. The governor and first lady sashayed to the White House for a black-tie State Dinner. And the schedule for next year’s Illinois General Assembly offered a little surprise.

First, about the SAFE-T Act amendment: It passed along party lines, 71-40 in the House and 38-17 in the Senate. The amendment clarifies language in the law that replaces cash bail with a system in which judges decide who should be jailed while awaiting trial. Here’s the working group that carried the measure.

The law was a lightning rod for debate during the midterms, even though it wasn’t on the ballot. Since the elections, there’s been constant talk about bipartisanship, but on this day the vote was all on party lines, with Democrats leading the charge.

The amendment now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker , who heralded its passage. “I’m pleased that the General Assembly has upheld the principles we fought to protect, including bringing an end to a system where those charged with violent offenses can buy their way out of jail, while others who are poor and charged with nonviolent offenses wait in jail for trial,” Pritzker said in a statement.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and first lady MK Pritzker arrive for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron at the White House on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022. | AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The state dinner: The governor’s statement landed just as he and MK were headed to the White House for an elegant State Dinner honoring France, the oldest ally of the United States.

“It was a jubilant tribute to President Joe Biden’s French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also a throwback to a more glamorous and carefree time before a global pandemic brought much of society to a halt,” writes POLITICO’s Myah Ward.

More glam ahead: Lawmakers will be back to work in Springfield for the lame duck session Jan. 4 through 7. Then Monday, Jan. 9, is the inauguration (We caught lawmakers this week comparing notes on what gown they’ll wear.).

Newly inaugurated lawmakers will return to work Jan. 11 for the 2023 legislative session.

And surprise, surprise: The new Illinois General Assembly calendar shows lawmakers will wrap up a week earlier than usual on May 19 — no Memorial Day legislative session. Woot woot! Here’s the full legislative calendar.

RELATED

— Dems’ ‘good piece of legislation’ is GOP’s ‘slap in the face,’ writes Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles in this thorough look at the SAFE-T Act debate.

CHANNELLING CHALLENGES: There’s lots of angling and posturing, but no one has laid down the gauntlet to challenge any of the Chicago mayoral candidates’ petition signatures — yet.

Watch for candidates to decide this weekend before making the leap. The deadline is Monday.

Scrutinizing signatures: There’s a lot of huffing and puffing from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s opponents who claim her petitions aren’t up to snuff. But she’s filed at least 40,000, which means she likely easily has the 12,500 needed to get on the ballot.

There’s also lots of poo-pooing about Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia’s signatures and whether they are all legitimate. He started late in the game getting petitions signed, so it was a struggle. Still, with 50,000 signatures he, like Lightfoot, likely has 12,500 good signatures in the mix. A person familiar with his campaign says Garcia won’t be challenging.

But will he be the target? Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson has the cash on hand to wage a challenge against Garcia, who shares the same progressive lane. But Johnson’s camp isn’t saying yet what it will do.

This is when politics is like business, said one consultant. To challenge the mayor or Garcia could be “too much money and manpower for the questionable return on investment.”

Weighing options: Lightfoot’s team, for example, hasn’t decided whether to challenge and may not at all, according to someone familiar with the campaign. Pushing out a candidate with little name ID or resources may not be worth the effort.

Who could be targeted: Watch for businessman Willy Wilson to challenge Ald. Roderick Sawyer , who turned in under 20,000 signatures. Keeping Sawyer off the ballot could shift Sawyer’s voters to Wilson.

Political consultant Ricky Hendon is expected to challenge activist Ja’Mal Green. Hendon is working on Wilson’s campaign, but his challenge is personal. There’s no love lost between Hendon, a former state senator, and Green.

Green says he’s “prepared and not worried” about a challenge and that he plans to “put in a few challenges” himself, though he’s not saying who he might target.

If you’re Desirée Rogers, the former White House Social Secretary, Playbook would like your take on Joe Biden’s White House State Dinner. Email skapos@politico.com .

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No official public events.

At Hermitage Park at 10:30 a.m. with Sen. Dick Durbin, Rep. Bobby Rush, Deputy Secretary Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg and local leaders to celebrate the $20 million federal grant for the Englewood Nature Trail.

No official public events.

Have a news tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? I’d like to hear from you: skapos@politico.com

— State Rep. Lakesia Collins becomes the new chair of the Illinois House Legislative Black Caucus after Rep. Kam Buckner, the current chair, finished his term. Buckner is also running for mayor of Chicago. In a statement, Buckner called the last two years “an inflection point” for Illinois “as we dealt with issues surrounding the pandemics of Covid, injustice and disinvestment.”

— Lawmakers pass measure limiting state investment in Russian assets, by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock

—  Proposal would allow state-licensed drug injection sites in Illinois to fight an opioid crisis that has hit Cook County hard, by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba

— Lawmakers introduce legislation to close ‘pawnbroker loophole’: "Passage of either Senate Bill 4241 or House Bill 5850 would hold pawnbrokers to the same consumer loan interest rate standard set by the Predatory Loan Prevention Act,” writes State Journal-Register’s Patrick Keck.

— National report released 5 months after Highland Park shooting makes gun safety recommendations for Illinois, by Tribune’s Annie Sweeney

— Is this the best use of prime farmland? “Thousands of acres are being paved with panels,” writes Illinois Times’ David Blanchette

— A crisis of care: “Number of foster families not keeping pace with more kids coming into DCFS system,” writes Illinois Times’ Scott Reeder.

— Are there too many Black people running for Chicago mayor? Residents weigh in: “It’s based on a longtime question raised by Black Chicagoans about splitting the vote,” writes the Triibe’s Tonia Hill.

— Chuy Garcia has been endorsed by UWUA Local 18007 Gas Workers Union in his bid for Chicago mayor. On Thursday, Garcia was also endorsed by three rail unions: the Transportation Communications Union, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

— Brandon Johnson has received $350,000 from the Chicago Teachers Union in his bid for mayor of Chicago.

— Ald. David Moore will run unopposed for third term representing South Side’s 17th Ward, by Block Club’s Atavia Reed

—  Ald. Timmy Knudsen has been endorsed by Bill Singer, the former 43rd Ward alderman who served from 1971 to 1975 (and later in the 44th Ward), and former state Senate President John Cullerton. Knudsen was recently appointed to fill the City Council seat and is now running for a full term.

— Wendi Taylor Nations, who’s also running for alderman in the 43rd Ward, has been endorsed by former 43rd Ward Ald. Marty Oberman, who served from 1975 to 1987, and former state Rep. Judy Erwin.

— Despite ban on lobbyists’ campaign money, Lightfoot took $53K from lobbyist’s companies: “The money came from companies owned by Carmen A. Rossi, In 2011, Mayor Rahm Emanuel signed an order barring Emanuel and future mayors from taking lobbyists’ money,” by Sun-Times’ Tim Novak and Frank Main.

— Chicago police leaders say applications have increased in 2022 amid national cop staffing shortage: “CPD has had more than 8,700 applicants this year, compared with 7,200 in 2021. And as of late November, the department has hired more than 770 officers. That figure is a sharp increase from 333 total hires in 2021 and 151 in 2020, according to police,” by Tribune’s Paige Fry.

— FTX collapse leaves program to help formerly incarcerated Chicagoans in jeopardy: “The cryptocurrency giant pledged at least $1 million to help provide universal basic income to help people get back on their feet after time behind bars. Now, it has filed for bankruptcy without delivering most of the grant,” by Sun-Times’ Manny Ramos.

— 242 cars towed on first night of winter parking ban, highest number since 2019, by Block Club’s Melody Mercado

— MSI welcomes another piece of space travel history to its collection with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, by Tribune’s Jordan Anderson

— Timeline: Edward Burke, Chicago’s longest-serving alderman, is leaving City Council with a federal trial pending, by Tribune’s Kori Rumore and Marianne Mather

— Divorce, financial issues preceded deaths of 5 — including two children — in Buffalo Grove that police are investigating as domestic violence, via Tribune, Pioneer Press and News-Sun

— Two lawsuits against city proceeding: “Federal Appellate Court judges recently reinstated lawsuits filed by white former city employees who said they were victims of reverse discrimination by Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder,” writes Illinois Times’ Dean Olsen.

— Contempt citations against DCFS director reversed by appellate court, by Capitol News’ Beth Hundsdorfer

— A Matteson Dollar Tree faces a federal fine for allegedly endangering workers, by Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan

— A list of every known Illinois resident charged in the U.S. Capitol breach: “At least 34 known residents face charges for their role,” reports Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel.

GO INSIDE THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO is featuring a special edition of our “Future Pulse” newsletter at the 2022 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit from Dec. 6 to 8. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of health industry leaders and innovators solving the biggest global health issues to ensure a healthier, more resilient future for all. SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE .

We asked for your mom’s signature dish:

Vincent Brandys: “Golumpki, which are Polish cabbage rolls stuffed with a mixture of beef, pork, rice and seasoning. Yummy.”

Justin Heath: "Dutch Apple Pie with a crumble top that she makes for my birthday every year. It’s the best pie in the world!" Recipe here

Mark Heffington of Pittsfield High School history department: “My mom, Ann, made sugar cookies (no icing, no sugar sprinkles). They were so good that the other kids in my class would ask her if they could bring them in for their birthdays, too.”

Ed Mazur: “Homemade chicken soup with homemade matzo balls the size of softballs.”

Mariyana Spyropoulos: “Spanakopita.”

Phil Zeni: “Meatloaf and mashed potatoes with bread and gravy.”

What trait do you have now that you also had as a kid? Email skapos@politico.com

— BIG MOVE: Congresswoman Lauren Underwood elected to House Democratic leadership position: “She’s the first Black female to win an elected position on the team since Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-N.Y.) back in the 1970s,” writes Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.

— Appeals court rejects Trump lawsuit in Mar-a-Lago documents case, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney

— Obama closes for Warnock in Georgia Senate race, by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison

— Pennsylvania Republicans reconsider their war on mail voting, by POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein

— The Oath Keepers got convicted. Now what? Politico’s Ian Ward writes

— Musk drops the bipartisan pose — and Republicans cheer, by POLITICO’s Rebecca Kern

— Austan Goolsbee, an Obama adviser and academic, is the next Chicago Fed chair: “The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago appointed Austan Goolsbee, an economist and former adviser to President Barack Obama, as its new president to replace Charles Evans, who retires in January. Goolsbee, 53, who is currently a professor of economics at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, will start on Jan. 9, the Chicago Fed said in an emailed statement Thursday,” via Bloomberg.

— George H. Lauder is now deputy inspector general for investigations for the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG). Lauder has more than 25 years’ experience in law enforcement, most recently as assistant director in the Office of Strategic Intelligence and Information for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

— Gary LaPaille, the former state senator and Illinois Democratic Party chair, died Thursday of complications of ALS, according to his family. We featured him a few weeks ago in The Buzz .

THURSDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to John Mark Hansen , a University of Chicago political science professor, for correctly answering that the 1932 Republican National Convention (held at the Chicago Stadium) nominated Charles Curtis, a member of the Kaw Nation, to be the Republican nominee for vice president of the United States alongside Herbert Hoover. They had already served a term but lost to the Democratic Roosevelt-Garner ticket in 1932.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was “The Voice from the Sewers” and what did they do? Email skapos@politico.com  

Today: Champaign County Auditor George Danos, Republican strategist Chris Robling and Bain & Co. recruiting specialist Alex Short.

Saturday: Political consultant Lance Trover, Newsy national correspondent Meg Hilling, Ungerleider Works founder Neal Ungerleider, Stomping Ground Strategies’ PR and digital consultant Olivia Goethals and screenwriter and film industry pro Lyn Vaus .

Sunday: Chicago commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Rachel Arfa, estate planning attorney Dan Balanoff, political pollster and consultant Rod McCulloch, McDermott Will & Emery’s Sarah Schanz and restaurateur Alpana Singh, who’s featured now in Chicago magazine .

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