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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Monday morning, Illinois! Ferris Bueller had it right when he took this June day off so many years ago.
|  | TOP TALKER | | |  Gov. JB Pritzker greets Joe Biden at O'Hare airport in 2021 as Congressman Mike Quigley and then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot look on. | AP Photo/Susan Walsh | Gov. JB Pritzker is working on hosting a fundraiser for President Joe Biden, possibly later this month, our POLITICO politics team reports. Gearing up: The Chicago event would be among the first big fundraisers being held for Biden ahead of the 2024 Election — and holding it in Chicago would give the president a good idea of how the city’s donor community will come together for the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Details of the fundraiser have not been finalized and are subject to change. But one of the dates being considered is June 28, according to our story. Now that the debt deal has been resolved, Biden can focus more on his campaign and plans for the Democratic convention. Naming of a convention CEO and the host committee is expected soon. In the meantime, Pritzker's team has been working to raise funds for the convention. An exclusive fundraising party at the home of businessman Michael Sacks was held recently to get the ball rolling. Pritzker has pledged that the Democratic National Committee wouldn’t go into debt if Chicago were named as the host. Chicago was picked in April.
| | THE BUZZ | | | | 
Chicago Bears owner George McCaskey, arriving at last year's NFL owners meeting in New York, is ready to look for a new site for the Bears. | AP Photo/Adam Hunger | DA BEARS: It’s back to the line of scrimmage for the Chicago Bears, who are now entertaining new offers to leave Chicago after Arlington Heights school districts walked away from the negotiating table. On Friday, the Bears met with Naperville officials about relocating the stadium there, a move that would take the team out of Cook County. Are alarm bells going off in Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s office? Don’t be surprised if other communities make a move with their own proposals to attract the team. It’s all part of doing business. Easy come, easy go: After purchasing the racetrack in Arlington Park, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the McCaskeys would locate their team there. Now, if the team goes someplace else, it will just sell the Arlington Park property. The way the Bears see it, no one will offer Arlington Heights a deal as good as the McCaskeys have offered, according to a letter the team sent to school district officials there. The crux of the issue is property value, which in turn determines how much in taxes the Bears would pay. The Bears have offered to pay the local taxing bodies $4.3 million a year, based on a land value of $52.5 million — or $1.5 million more in proposed tax payments than the $2.8 million paid by previous Arlington park owners, Churchill downs Inc., while the site was an active racetrack. The county’s take: Arlington Heights school districts and the Cook County Assessor’s Office value the property at $197 million, for which the Bears would be responsible for paying $16 million in property taxes, even though the site will be in development and not generating revenue. The gap in tax payments is so wide that the school districts have stopped negotiating and the Bears are entertaining other offers. Meanwhile, legislation in Springfield that would have given some help to the Bears has stalled. State Rep. Marty Moylan told Playbook his bill “world work for any site location and, similarly, any mega project with respect to tax certainty.” The other side of the coin: Some lawmakers, though, agree that the school districts shouldn’t lock into a tax deal that doesn’t benefit them in the long-term. Everyone remembers Chicago: It’s been a decade since the city made $660 million in improvements to Soldier Field in an effort to keep the Bears happy — and hotel taxes are still paying it off. For what it’s worth: Mayor Lori Lightfoot wanted to build a dome over Soldier Field with taxpayer monies helping pay for it. New question: Will Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration propose a new location for the Bears in Chicago or negotiate for financial relief? From the Tribune: Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli called the conversations with the Bears “good” and said “there’s more to come.” If you are George McCaskey, Playbook would like to know if you’d rethink staying in Chicago. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | WHERE'S JB | | Talking about the state budget at Phoenix Community Development Services in Peoria at 10 a.m. and at John Wood Community College in Quincy at 1:30 p.m.
| | | WHERE's BRANDON | | | At Navy Pier at 10 a.m. for the Chicago Police Department recruit graduation ceremony. — At the Civic Opera House at 6 p.m. for the James Beard Awards.
| | | 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. | | | | | | | SPOTTED | | Speaking of Soldier Field: Taylor Swift’s wowed during her three appearances at the stadium. She even talked politics (on Friday). “This is a safe space for you. This is a celebratory space for you. And one of the things that makes me feel so prideful is getting to be with you, and watching you interact with each other, and being so loving, and so thoughtful, and so caring,” Swift said. “Right now and recently there have been so many harmful pieces of legislation that have put people in the LGBTQ+ and queer community at risk." It's why, she said, it's important "to research" who you vote for. In the crowd: Jordan Abudayyeh, the governor’s chief of staff for comms, went Friday with friends and Sunday with her two sisters. Kelley Quinn, a former longtime Illinois Democratic political operative who now works in crisis comms in Florida, flew in for the show with best friends and fellow comms pros Lauren Huffman and Jennifer Rottner. Their tickets were “in the nosebleeds,” says Quinn. And Playbooker Nancy Camacho was there, too, working with the event staff.
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — How the quiet town of Carbondale became the symbol of abortion rights in America: “Most important … was the location. Wedged between states likely to limit or ban abortion, it was in a spot where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers dipped the Illinois border toward the American south. Carbondale was closer to Tupelo, Miss., and Huntsville, Ala., than it was to Chicago. That could make it a key outpost for abortion rights in a part of the country where an ‘abortion desert’ was about to spread,” by USA Today’s Chris Kenning. — Expansion of program that gives break to first-time gun offenders awaits governor’s signature, by Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner — City of Springfield cited for refusal to cover gender-affirming care: “Illinois Human Rights Commission rules in favor of former library manager,” by Illinois times’ Dean Olsen. — Illinois and Chicago near top of list for most postal workers bitten by dogs in 2022, by My Stateline’s Mike Smith
| | CHICAGO | | — INVESTIGATION: The cop who got out of 44 tickets by saying over and over that his girlfriend stole his car: And while on duty, Jeffrey Kriv "regularly flouted rules and disrupted lives. Once, he punched a handcuffed man in the back of his patrol car, records show,” by ProPublica’s Jodi S. Cohen and Tribune’s Jennifer Smith Richards. — Aldermen use expense accounts to pay ex-Park District official who resigned amid lifeguard scandal, by Tribune’s Alex Harrison — Immigrant dies at shelter at shuttered Woodlawn school that stirred controversy: “Though the police haven’t said any crime was involved in the death, Ald. Jeanette Taylor said the first known death of an immigrant at a city of Chicago-operated shelter will heighten community concerns,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman, Tom Schuba and Michael Loria. — Chicago shootings: At least 52 shot, 10 fatally over the weekend, police say, by ABC 7’s Stephanie Wade — On the ground with anti-violence activists, by Tribune’s Megan Crepeau — Restaurant groups want to deploy private security patrols in West Loop and Fulton Market, by Eater’s Ashok Selvam — NASCAR drivers ‘skeptical’ about spectacle that will be the Chicago Street Race, by Sun-Times’ Steve Greenberg — Correcting the name: It was Billionaire Jim Crown who is asking CEOs to find jobs for people in an effort to cut the city’s murder rate. Your Playbook host typed the wrong name Friday.
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Chicago Ald. Stephanie Coleman (16th) has been elected chair of the City Council's Black Caucus, which has 19 members. Coleman replaces Ald. Jason Ervin, who’s been caucus chair for four years. — Erik Connolly, a Chicago attorney with Benesch, is representing Smartmatic in its case against Fox. Like Dominion Voting Systems, Smartmatic is suing the network after being swept up in baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Fox was represented by Chicago attorney Dan Webb against Dominion case, but he’s not involved in the Smartmatic case.
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Former Cook County official Patrick Hanlon faces federal criminal case, by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos. — Suit seeks to scuttle CHA land lease to Chicago Fire and construction $80M training facility, by Sun-Times’ Mitch Dudek — Judge silences, scolds attorney for Berrios relative who faces trial Monday for bribing state lawmaker, by Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel
| | | | 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 D’s and R’s agree on. Janice Anderson: “Public safety even though they disagree on how to go about improving it.” Eli Brottman: “Legalizing fentanyl test strips.” Collin Corbett: “Fixing the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).” Jarod Hitchings: “Getting rid of the penny.” Mark Rosenberg: “They both hate Sen. Joe Manchin.” Jim Strickler: “We don't agree on how to teach about race and slavery in U.S. history, but I bet everyone agrees that kids should learn the infield fly rule.” Patricia Ann Watson: “That the U.S. is critical to decision-making worldwide.” If getting a ticket were easy, how far would you travel to see the Bears play a home game? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Suddenly, things are actually going the Senate GOP campaign arm’s way, by POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein and Ally Mutnick — First GOP debate: Who’s in, who’s out, and who’s sweating, by POLITICO’s Steven Shepard — ‘Crisis averted': Biden touts economic bonafides in first Oval Office address, by POLITICO’s Myah Ward — How Covid made it nearly impossible to pass new vaccine rules, by POLITICO’s Rachel Bluth — Chuck Todd to leave ‘Meet the Press,’ by POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity
| | HISTORY LESSON | | — Chicago Latino activist Rudy Lozano was murdered 40 years ago: Prosecutors called it a “contract killing” because Lozano hired gang members to his aldermanic campaign, angering rival gang members. But “to this day, residents of Mexican-American neighborhoods ask why their assumption that his killing was political wasn’t investigated more thoroughly,” writes Tribune’s Ron Grossman. — Chris Vallillo takes a musical journey to the people and places of the Illinois ‘nation’ of Forgottonia, by Tribune’s Rick Kogan
| | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congratulations to state Rep. Jonathan Carroll and reader Mark McCombs for correctly answering that Lou Boudreau from Harvey and the University of Illinois made the infield shift famous. Boudreau was the manager of the then-Cleveland Indians and he designed the defense against the great Ted Williams, a dangerous left handed hitter. Boudreau is also a Hall of Famer who spent many years as a Cubs radio broadcaster on WGN. TODAY’s QUESTION: How does the City of Richmond, Va., honor the state of Illinois? Email skapos@politico.com
| | BIRTHDAYS | | Ald. Timmy Knudsen, former Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris, SPAAN Tech CEO Smita Shah and caseworker for Rep. Lauren Underwood Becky Hooper. -30- | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
