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Presented by UPS: Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by UPS | Happy Monday, Illinois. Three years ago, the governor ordered us all to stay at home to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Time flies, but it also seems to stand still.
|  | TOP TALKER | | |  Penny Pritzker, photographed in 2016 when she was U.S. Secretary of Commerce, is sanctioned from visiting Russia. | Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images | DASVIDANIYA! Former President Barack Obama, Illinois Atty. Gen. Kwame Raoul and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker are among at least nine Illinoisans on a list of nearly 500 Americans blacklisted from entering the country, according to a list issued Friday by the Russian foreign ministry. Freshman freeze: Also on Russia's sanctions list are Illinois’ four newly elected Democratic members to Congress — Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Eric Sorensen (IL-17). Russia’s action is retaliation after the United States and G7 countries imposed new sanctions on the country to punish it for its war in Ukraine. The U.S. announced measures against more than 300 targets in an effort to “tighten the vise on Putin’s ability to wage his barbaric invasion,” according to the U.S. Treasury. Pritzker and her brother, Gov. JB Pritzker, have a deep connection to Russia and Ukraine, as their great-great-grandparents immigrated from Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. Also on the list: Chicago businessman Jim Crown, director of General Dynamics Corp., and former Illinois Republican Congressman Peter Roskam, an attorney and vice chair for the National Endowment for Democracy. It's a bipartisan dis: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, and former Trump administration execs Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Kay Bailey Hutchison and Fiona Hill are on the list, too. “The people on the list are not necessarily involved with U.S. policy toward Russia; they are Americans who are standing in the way of the Trump movement’s takeover of our country,” writes political historian Heather Cox Richardson, who’s also on the list.
| | THE BUZZ | | Time to govern: This week marks a test for Mayor Brandon Johnson as he and the newly elected aldermen get to work in their first City Council meeting Wednesday. So far, Johnson is getting good reviews for building an administrative team that has a mix of government and policy experience — allies who are willing to challenge his decisions while also working to execute them. The City Council is a different story: The new mayor is faced with the realities of governing vs. campaigning. He will need 26 votes from the council’s 50 members to get any of his agenda passed. Without hitting that magic 26-vote threshold, nothing can get done outside of executive orders. One step at a time: Johnson, a progressive, doesn’t have a majority going in the way Mayors Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel or, even Lori Lightfoot, did. But Johnson has appointed enough council members to key committees to help build coalitions. Case in point: Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and Ald. Walter Burnet Jr. (27th), who endorsed rival Paul Vallas for mayor, are now Public Safety Committee and vice mayor, respectively. Their appointments won’t guarantee that Johnson will have enough power to twist the arms of every alderman to do what he wants, but it’s a start. Johnson’s opportunity: Handling public safety and the migrant issue will give the new mayor a chance to show he can lead. It will allow him to bring together progressives and the business community, which is still trying to figure out how to approach Johnson’s choice for zoning chair: Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), a Democratic Socialist. RELATED — Johnson’s pick for deputy mayor for community safety signals strategy change: “Garien Gatewood will focus on “the other aspects of public safety beyond law enforcement that are so critical to our agenda,” Johnson’s senior adviser Jason Lee says,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman and Tom Schuba. — Johnson's labor allies move to undo Lightfoot's 11th-hour McPier board pick: “A bill intended to undo former Mayor Lori Lightfoot's 11th-hour appointment of right-hand man Samir Mayekar to the McPier board has abruptly surfaced in Springfield and appears to have a good chance to pass,” writes Crain’s Justin Laurence. — Yesterday’s radicals have become today’s establishment, by Chicago magazine’s Edward Robert McClelland If you are Peter Roskam, Playbook would like to know if you have a Russia backstory. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | | | A message from UPS: You don’t need a college degree or an executive title to have success at UPS. Both full- and part-time union employees receive industry-leading wages, low-to-no-cost health care, pension benefits, tuition assistance and more. Learn more | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events.
| | | WHERE's BRANDON | | | No official public events.
| | | Where's Toni | | No official public events. Thank you for reading Illinois Playbook! Drop me a line sometime: skapos@politico.com
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S HEALTH CARE SUMMIT: The Covid-19 pandemic helped spur innovation in health care, from the wide adoption of telemedicine, health apps and online pharmacies to mRNA vaccines. But what will the next health care innovations look like? Join POLITICO on Wednesday June 7 for our Health Care Summit to explore how tech and innovation are transforming care and the challenges ahead for access and delivery in the United States. REGISTER NOW. | | | | | | | CONVENTION ZONE | | — While the Democratic convention coming to Chicago might provide good vibes, experts question the economic boost: “Convention boosters have a lot of incentives to tell the public what a great windfall this convention is going to be, and they often pay for these economic impact studies that show wild benefits from conventions. And, unfortunately, if we really dig closely into the data, the research just doesn’t really support that,” according to Lauren Heller, a professor of economics at Berry College who has studied political conventions. Tribune’s John Byrne and A.D. Quig report.
| | WHERE'S RAHM | | — As Rahm Emanuel pushes Japan on gay rights, conservatives bristle: “The U.S. ambassador has enthusiastically embraced his host country. But critics say he has overstepped diplomatic bounds with his advocacy on equality,” by The New York Times’ Motoko Rich.
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — In Springfield: After blowing past Friday’s self-imposed deadline to wrap up legislative work, Democratic leaders who control both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly said they’d return Wednesday to nail down a state budget. “Conversation is ongoing, and negotiations are productive,” Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said in a joint statement. “We are committed to passing a good, balanced budget for the people of Illinois.” The Tribune reports: Several Democratic stress points were evident in the failure to produce a budget on schedule. Note, lawmakers technically have until May 31 to sign off on a budget. Republican House Leader Tony McCombie released her own statement, saying, “There is much to accomplish and too much on the line to disregard our caucus from this process. We want to govern, so I say it again: Don’t disregard our value.” — Illinois set to become first state to count Arab Americans in state data: “Currently, Arab Americans are categorized as white,” report CBS 2’s Samah Assad and Dorothy Tucker — Tom Dart urges lawmakers to scrap reform requiring criminal defendants on home detention to get 2 furlough days a week, by Sun-Times’ Frank Main — Illinois lands 4 cities on best places to live, by Peoria Journal Star’s Chris Sims
| | | | A message from UPS:   | | | | | CHICAGO | | — Critics say elected school board won’t reflect the district’s student population unless map is redrawn, by WTTW’s Amanda Vinicky — Does city’s checkout bag tax need a reset? WTTW’s Patty Wetli reports — Woman claims to be Diamond Bradley from 22-year-old case, great aunt says, by Sun-Times’ Violet Miller — BUSINESS OF POLITICS: Young voters played a key role in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s victory, by WBEZ’s Amy Qin
| | SPOTTED | | — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson headlined the One Million Degrees gala Friday at Rockwell on the River. It was a who’s who event. John Atkinson, chair of Marsh Chicago insurance broker and the Illinois Board of Higher Education, received the civic leadership award. A surprise intro came via video from his friend, Sen. Tammy Duckworth. In the room: A Better Chicago CEO Beth Swanson, Vistria COO and former deputy governor Jesse Ruiz, Board of Higher Ed Executive Director Ginger Ostro, Chicago Democratic National Convention Interim Executive Director Kaitlin Fahey, convention fundraiser Leah Israel, City Colleges Chancellor Juan Salgado, Chicago State University President Z Scott, Governors State University President Cheryl Green, former congresswoman now Mesirow Financial CEO Melissa Bean, Thresholds CEO Mark Ishaug and C-Strategies CEO Becky Carroll.
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — From inside Cook County Jail, chess spreads across the globe, by Sun-Times’ Andy Grimm — Northwestern’s plan to replace Ryan Field with a sports and entertainment complex is causing a hometown hassle, writes Robert Reed in Chicago magazine — Here's where things stand with Bears and Arlington Heights, by NBC 2 Sports’ Ryan Taylor — Swastika found on trash can in Highland Park prompts police investigation, by Tribune’s Olivia Alexander
| | | | GET READY FOR GLOBAL TECH DAY: Join POLITICO Live as we launch our first Global Tech Day alongside London Tech Week on Thursday, June 15. Register now for continuing updates and to be a part of this momentous and program-packed day! From the blockchain, to AI, and autonomous vehicles, technology is changing how power is exercised around the world, so who will write the rules? REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what cost a lot more than you planned for. Rick Baert: “My cable and internet package” Vern Broders: “Home renovations in a vintage greystone building.” Kristin DiCenso, a former Springfield alderwoman: “Being a local elected official cost me time with my family and friends, privacy and a sense of safety. I loved serving, but I didn’t plan on it being a 24/7 job.” Graham Grady and Mark Pogalz: “Everything.” James LaCognata: “Veterinary bills.” Brent Pruim: “Existence costs.” Franklin Ramirez: “Being a foster parent. It’s not about the stipend the state gives you, it’s the emotional investments that get you — for the good.” John Straus: “Our daughter’s wedding: Budget was x. Cost was 3x. Worth every penny for the smile on her face walking down the aisle.” Bill Utter: “Raising 4 children. Not done yet!” What’s something special you remember about the first day on the job? Email skapos@politico.com
| | IN THE SPOTLIGHT | | — How Abraham Lincoln broke the barrier between church and state: “As a rising politician in Illinois, the future president was dogged by rumors that he was an outspoken religious ‘scoffer,’ and indeed, he was by every account a nonbeliever. That changed during the war, particularly after the death of Lincoln’s beloved son, Willie, who succumbed to typhoid in early 1862,” writes POLITICO Magazine Contributing Writer Joshua Zeitz.
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — Republican Congressmen Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Mike Bost (IL-12) reintroduced the David Dorn Thin Blue Line Retention Act in the U.S. House to raise police officer salaries and hire more police officers.
| | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | | — Trump’s dominance spooks down-ballot recruits, by POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick and Holly Otterbein — Facebook parent Meta hit with record fine for transferring European user data to U.S., by The Associated Press — Biden’s G-7 summit shadowed by debt limit drama at home, by POLITICO’s Eli Stokols — HIGHER-ED: Selective colleges face pressure to drop admissions policies that help alumni children, by WBEZ’s Lisa Philip
| | | | A message from UPS: You don’t need a college degree or an executive title to have success at UPS.
Full- and part-time union employees receive industry-leading wages, low-to-no-cost health care, pension benefits, tuition assistance and more.
For example, full-time delivery drivers receive average total compensation of $145,000 per year. That includes $0 health care premiums, contributions to a defined-benefit pension plan and up to seven weeks of paid vacation, plus paid time off for holidays, sick leave and option days.
See what these benefits mean to our employees and their families | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Richard Monocchio will be sworn in today as the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s principal deputy assistant secretary, leading the Office of Public and Indian Housing. He has served as a Chicago buildings commissioner and head of the Cook County Housing Authority. — Micaela Smith is now district director for Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon's office. She was manager of community relations and external affairs for Thornton Township.
| | | ENGAGED | | | — James Brady, a manager and estimator at JB Contracting in LaSalle, Ill., recently proposed to Courtney Bourgoin, senior policy manager for Midwest states at Evergreen Action. Pic
| | EVENTS | | — Today: Janice Jackson, CEO of Hope Chicago and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools, headlines a City Club luncheon. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Jim Bray and Mark McCombs for being first among many to answer that Kaskaskia, which was Illinois’ first capital city in 1818, is west of the Mississippi. The river has changed course since then. H/t to Christopher Lynch for the question TODAY’s QUESTION: What Springfield law firm had a partner who nearly dueled with future President Abraham Lincoln and, separately, with Jefferson Davis? Email skapos@politico.com
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