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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | With help from Olivia Olander Can’t fight the feeling, Illinois. REO Speedwagon will perform at the Illinois State Fair Grandstand this summer, via State Journal-Register.
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Gov. JB Pritzker, at the Chicago Family Health Center in Chicago last year, is focusing on children and families in this year's budget. | Ashlee Rezin/Chicago Sun-Times via AP, File | SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — When Gov. JB Pritzker steps up to the podium in the House chamber today, he’ll spell out a budget plan that includes free pre-kindergarten for all of the state's 3-and 4-year-olds in need, a $75 million investment for the year. That accounts for about 5,000 children in the first year and 20,000 over the next four years for a total cost of $250 million. “I want to make sure we’re not burdening future budgets,” Pritzker told reporters Tuesday in a preview to the marquee program called Smart Start Illinois. This year’s budget reveal: The pre-K plan is part of a $49.6 billion spending proposal that Pritzker will announce during his State of the State speech in the House chamber. It’s his first address before a full joint session of the state House and Senate since before the pandemic began in 2020. Pritzker’s pivot: After devoting his first term to fighting Covid, the governor is returning to a long-held interest in early childhood education. Before he was governor, Pritzker and his wife, MK Pritzker, donated millions of dollars to the Ounce of Prevention Fund when it was headed by former first lady Diana Rauner. Indirect effects: Pritzker says his budget proposal will make education more “equitable, focusing in particular on children and families who have less ability to access quality programs.” Investing in pre-K also boosts the workforce, which is “made up largely of women and people of color.” Should the proposal get approval from lawmakers, Illinois would join many other states, including Georgia and Maryland, in offering free pre-K programs. Most every state in the country has some form of free pre-K. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed a free pre-K program, but it didn’t have the staying power, Pritzker said, because state budgets weren’t “running surpluses” the way they are now. Long-term savings: Pritzker points to education research that says over time, taxpayers would save $7 for every $1 invested in expanded pre-K programming. Pre-K helps kids become better learners, which gets them through high school and into careers instead of trouble. Pritzker calls it a “win win,” saying pre-K ultimately helps mobilize the workforce and increase economic activity. Also in his budget proposal: A plan to increase funding for early intervention, increase child-care workers’ salaries and increase home-health visits for at-risk families. And he says he’ll do it without raising taxes. More from the Tribune, including this: “In a separate news conference, House Republicans announced the formation of working groups that focus on improving the child welfare system, public safety, education, supporting women and families, and reigniting the economy,” by Tribune's Dan Petrella and Jeremy Gorner. RELATED Emergency SNAP benefits are ending. Here’s what that means for Chicago families, by Tribune’s Talia Soglin
| | THE BUZZ | | HELP GUARANTEED: Results are emerging from the guaranteed income pilot programs in Illinois. Chicago is giving $500 a month for a year to 5,000 low-income households, and in Cook County, 3,250 people are getting $500 for two years. Survey says: A report by the Inclusive Economy Lab out of University of Chicago shows that the top priority of participants in the Chicago program was to pay off their bills and debts, followed by saving money and finding a new place to live. Another take-away: Participants are struggling with physical and mental health issues relating, in part, to the pandemic. Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s take: The data “underscores how critical it is to address poverty as a root cause of so many other challenges our city and residents face,” she said in a statement. Toni Preckwinkle says it’s been years in the making: “Martin Luther King, in the 1960s, talked about the importance of guaranteed income. So did the Black Panthers,” the Cook County Board president said during a forum in Washington, D.C. “They said, basically, everyone should have either a guaranteed job or a guaranteed income. So 50 years later, we’re seeing this experiment kind of bubble up.” Tribune’s A.D. Quig has a full report. If you are Diana Rauner, Playbook would like your take on the governor’s pre-K plan. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | In the Illinois House chambers at noon for the State of the State and FY24 budget address.
| | WHERE'S LORI | | No official public events
| | Where's Toni | | At Alan B. Shepherd High School in Palos Heights at 10 a.m. for a Becoming a Man circle session. 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
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Illinois Senate President Don Harmon has tested positive for Covid-19. He got the news after a meeting with the governor, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and others to talk about the budget. Pritzker and Welch tested negative, according to their aides. More on Harmon from NBC 5. — Bureau of Prisons is closing troubled, violent detention unit in Illinois: “Officials said that dangerous conditions inside the special management unit in the Thomson federal penitentiary warranted “immediate” action,” by The New York Times’ Glenn Thrush. — With Illinois cash bail case, courts may wall themselves off from reform: “The Illinois Supreme Court is set to decide whether state lawmakers’ decision to end cash bail violated separation of powers, in a case with wide ramifications for who gets to regulate courts,” by Bryce Covert for Bolts magazine. — Pritzker signs new tourism districts, criminal justice reforms into law, by Capitol News Illinois’ Nika Schoonover
| | 2023 MUNICIPAL RACES | | — Super PACs playing bigger role in mayor’s race, hiding donors: “The latest committee to join the fray is the New Leadership for Chicago committee, which late last week reported doling out nearly $200,000 so far on digital media in support of Jesus "Chuy" Garcia’s run for mayor, according to campaign finance records. The similarly named Chicago Leadership Committee has spent more than $165,000 on TV and digital ads for Paul Vallas’ mayoral bid,” by Tribune’s A.D. Quig and Gregory Pratt. — Lightfoot steps up attacks on Johnson, hoping to purge his surge, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Paul Vallas defends his city residency and stances on school choice, by Block Club’s Noah Asimow — Wilson’s plan to fill CPD vacancies: increase pay, eliminate exam, ‘temporarily’ raise retirement age to 67, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman — David Orr, the former Cook County clerk, is endorsing Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia for mayor. — New poll shows opportunity to resurrect rainbow coalition in Chicago race for mayor: “Of those polled, 71 percent of Black voters and 78 percent of Latino voters believe Chicago would be better off if those groups worked together on pressing issues,” writes Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — AD BUYS: The Get Stuff Done PAC has purchased more than $100,000 in TV ads that will run through March 4. “The big spending political action committee backed by the business community has expanded the list of candidates it's supporting in City Council races across the city,” reports Crain’s Justin Laurence. — 6th Ward: 11 candidates fight to fill open seat in South Side ‘so that we can become what we once were,’ by Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn — 4th Ward: Lamont Robinson is out with a TV ad in his run for the City Council. — 26th and 30th Wards: Open council seats in 2 Northwest Side wards spark call for open minds in addressing crime, by Sun-Times’ Allison Novelo — 34th Ward: Residents frustrated as Bill Conway plans to skip only candidate forum, by Block Club’s Melody Mercado
| | CHICAGO | | — City officials could have prevented botched Little Village smokestack implosion, according to watchdog report, by WTTW’s Heather Cherone — Mayor offers few details on fixing registries for sex, drug and violence crimes: “Chicago police fail to keep up with criminal registries, putting people at risk of arrest. Lightfoot won’t explain her fix,” by WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Cook County’s delinquent property tax system is target of proposed legislation, by Tribune’s Lizzie Kane — Millburn D24 school board blasted for ‘transphobic’ fuss over menstrual products in boys bathrooms: “Where is all this hate coming from?” by News-Sun’s Gavin Good.
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Ex-Bloomingdale highway boss gets 3 ½ years in federal prison in kickback scheme, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner — Ex-Outfit enforcer in ‘golden years’ loses bid to end court supervision after prosecutors say he went back to old Cicero haunt, by Tribune’s Jason Meisner
| | POT-POURRI | | — Chicago’s first Black-owned, independent weed shop opens in Logan Square, by Sun-Times’ Mitch Dudek
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — Myles Nelson selected to serve as Republican State Central Committeeman for the 13th District, according to the Illinois GOP
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what you hope to hear from the governor’s budget address. Randy Bukas: “An increase in the General Fund transfer to the Local Government Distribution Fund.” Robert Christie: “Genuine short- and long-term solutions to the state’s pension crisis.” Graham Grady: “Mental health services for teens, young girls especially, and police and seniors.” Barry Salzman: “No mention of state aid for a new Bears stadium.” Andy Shaw: “A commitment to consolidate Illinois’ 7,000-plus taxing bodies.” What’s your go-to comfort food? Email skapos@politico.com
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Michael Kutza, who founded the Chicago International Film Festival, sat down with Chicago Star Media’s Candace Jordan to talk about his memoir. He credits an unnamed friend with helping him build the film festival. “He went to jail and now he’s out. Nice guy.” Kutza wasn't referring to Rod Blagojevich, a film buff, but insurance man Michael "Mickey" Segal. Video here
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — Sen. Tammy Duckworth has introduced an aviation accessibility bill. It would require the U.S. Department of Transportation to publish annual reports about disability-related complaints from air travelers along with specifics on how the complaints were resolved. Duckworth said the bill, if passed, would prevent "disability-related complaints from being swept under the rug," by POLITICO’s Alex Daugherty (There's a paywall.)
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Bidens will screen ‘Till’ at the White House — movie tells the Emmett Till story, by Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet — Michigan State alerts urge students to ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ as gunfire erupts; ‘I just ran for my life,’ via The Associated Press — 55 things you need to know about Nikki Haley, by POLITICO’s Michael Kruse and Sydney Gold
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Lindsay Jenkins has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as a federal judge for the Northern District of Illinois. Jenkins has been a partner at Cooley. She fills the seat held by U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
| | TRIVIA | | TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to John Mark Hansen for correctly answering that Chicago was awarded the Summer Olympic Games in 1904, but St. Louis strong-armed its way into hosting the event to coincide with the World's Fair. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the "Winnetka millionaire communist" convicted in 1920 of conspiring to overthrow the U.S. government? Email skapos@politico.com
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