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Presented by Uber: Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | | | Good Monday morning, Illinois! I'm headed to the home office, so behave.
|  | TOP TALKER | | Progressive Congressmembers Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Delia Ramirez have butted heads with Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget move to temporarily suspend a health-care program for some undocumented immigrants. Long time, no talk: Garcia and Ramirez, in the rare position of opposing the progressive governor, hope to talk to him about their concerns — and Pritzker says he welcomes the conversation. Just don’t expect him to change his mind unless the members come up with a way to fund the program. “I'm always open to conversation,” Pritzker said Sunday during a press briefing. The governor said he was in conversations for months with Latino Caucus members in the Illinois General Assembly, “and they knew exactly what we were doing.” At issue: The Pritzker administration’s decision to temporarily suspend enrollment for undocumented low income residents ages between 42 and 64. That decision came after the General Assembly didn't appropriate enough money to cover additional enrollment. While both members of Congress support expanding the program, Congress has yet to pass comprehensive immigration reform or provide any funding for this program. Ramirez was the sponsor of the original legislation that put the cost at about $4 million a year. The program blew through that estimate in the first month. Pritzker’s view: Health care for undocumented immigrants was “saved” and could later be expanded, he said. “But remember we had to balance the budget. The program was expanding at such a rapid rate that we needed to just take a pause and see where this program was going over the next few months.” The national view: The debate about healthcare for immigrants in Illinois comes as Pritzker and Ramirez both received honors from the national Immigrants’ List for his support of immigrant rights. Some progressive activists had urged the organization to rescind the award because of the healthcare issue. That didn’t happen. It’s not black and white: “In the progressive movement, a lot of times it’s all or nothing,” Sui Chung, a Miami attorney who grew up in Illinois and sits on the board of Immigrants’ List, told Playbook. Chung praised Pritzker’s work: “What the governor has done in terms of banning private detention of immigrants and allowing non-citizens to have drivers licenses is huge. In Florida, we’re facing hateful bills that will cause tremendous problems for immigrants. Illinois is far ahead. People point to California, but really, it’s Illinois that’s in the lead on immigrant rights.” And the irony: Ramirez praised Pritzker during her acceptance speech calling him “her champion.” Factoid: The Immigrants' List annual convention is set to be held in Chicago next year.
| | | THE BUZZ | | INVESTIGATION: Do you believe in “magic” lobbyists? WBEZ’s Dave McKinney is out with a juicy story about the “Magic Lobbyist List” used to help convict four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists in a recent high-profile bribery case. What he found: In spite of the convictions, the other names on the list have faced no employment fallout from the scandal. In fact, many of the lobbyists favored by former House Speaker Michael Madigan “continue to maintain impressive portfolios of blue-chip corporate and non-profit clients,” McKinney writes. Taking names: “The Chicago Cubs, the Illinois Health & Hospital Association, the University of Chicago, Walmart and even Commonwealth Edison, to name a few, keep writing checks to the favored” lobbyists who were connected to Madigan. If you are on the magic lobbyist list, Playbook would like to know how you explain that to clients. Email skapos@politico.com. We heard from Sheila Nix, who said the VP would love to spend time in Illinois.
| | A message from Uber: What the City of Chicago uncovered about Uber. An independent study by the City of Chicago found that most Uber and Lyft drivers make $21-$30 per hour and earn over $1,000 a week* on average. Learn more about the City of Chicago’s study.*Full-time TNP driver avg hourly and weekly earnings, PPV Study April,'23 | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At Chicago Union Station at 10 a.m. with other officials to tout Amtrak rail improvements.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | At A Knock At Midnight at 11 a.m. to talk about the city’s youth hiring strategy and kick off the One Summer Chicago program.
| | Where's Toni | | At Chicago Union Station at 10 a.m. with the governor and other officials — At the Cook County Building at 1 p.m. for the launch of LeadCare, which offers lead service line replacement to suburban home-based child care providers.
| | | WHERE'S LORI | | | Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and wife Amy Eshleman were spotted in London watching the Cubs-Cardinal game and rubbing elbows with actor Bill Murray, via Fox Sports on Twitter. Thank you for reading Illinois Playbook! Drop me a line sometime: 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. | | | | | | | CONVENTION ZONE | | GET LINK ... — Union discord: The AFL-CIO endorsed President Joe Biden for reelection, but not all the unions are on board. Leaders of the United Mine Workers of America and United Auto Workers are among the notable holdouts. And the selection of Chicago for the convention “reopened old wounds for some union hands, given the heavy involvement of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire heir of the family that controls the Hyatt hotel chain. Over the years, Hyatt has had a number of high-profile dustups with UNITE HERE, a major union that represents hundreds of thousands of hotel and restaurant workers, over working conditions and contract terms,” writes POLITICO labor reporter Nick Niedzwiadek. That tension has raised some eyebrows, but UNITE HERE’s leader, D. Taylor acknowledges the union is “excited it's coming to Chicago. It’s a union town, and we’re proud of that.” And Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter, who worked closely with Pritzker to land the convention, said the governor has a strong labor record. “Everybody at the end of the day stands on their own two legs,” Reiter said. “I’ve got no complaints about governor Pritzker.”
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — AG Kwame Raoul talks about his clash with the cardinal, the advice he got from Barack Obama and what's next: “The only office I would consider other than running for AG would be governor,” Raoul said. It’s a job that allows you to “get things done,” he tells Derrick Blakley for Center for Illinois Politics. — Look for more abortion-focused legislation: The Illinois House Democratic Caucus Dobbs Working Group says it’s still moving forward with measures aimed at further protecting reproductive rights in Illinois. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, chair of the group, called their work “critically important.”
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | SPOTLIGHT | | — TERROR ABROAD: State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (21st) sent his legislative colleagues an update on his trip to the Middle East and getting caught up in violence there: “I saw people running in the streets. One man was sprinting to each house yelling ‘flee your homes! Then the gunshots started. and we knew we needed to stay inside. I ran outside yelling for my family to get inside. We barricaded doors, closed windows and started making a safety plan. My 7-year-old daughter held on to me tight and asked, crying: “‘What do we do if we get shot?’ I truly did not know during this period whether we would be killed.” Here’s his full letter.
| | CHICAGO | | — Thousands cheer on 52nd annual Pride Parade: “Rain showers didn’t dampen festive spirits as the parade made its way through North Side neighborhoods. Extra police were on hand, but no incidents were reported,” by Sun-Times’ Mohammad Samra. — Sleeping on the floor of a Chicago police station for weeks, some migrants say it’s still their best option, by Tribune’s Nell Salzman
| | SPOTTED | | | | 
Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, center, and his wife, Dorothy, greet former Bulls star Charles Oakley at John Kelly's birthday party on Friday, June 23, 2023. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos | — ON FRIDAY: Jerry Reinsdorf made a rare public speaking appearance to roast his friend, lobbyist John Kelly for his 50th birthday party held at Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse on Rush Street. The owner of the Bulls and White Sox joked that he hardly knew Kelly, which prompted a big laugh from the crowd since everyone knows the two men go way back. More head-turning moments: Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and his wife, Dorothy, and former Bulls star Charles Oakley all flew in for the party. McAuliffe and Oakley had worked with Kelly on separate education projects. And former Gov. Rod Blagojevich hit the bash, too. Warm speeches were given by Kelly’s daughter, law school student Victoria Kelly, wife Julie and sister Colleen Cassidy. Also spotted: Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Senate Republican Assistant Majority Leader Sue Rezin, Chicago Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th), former state Senate President John Cullerton, former state Sen. Jimmy DeLeo, Democratic fundraiser Trisha Rooney, business leaders Judd Malkin and Katherine Malkin, Neal Zucker, Marko Iglendza, Terry Newman and Les Coney, sports anchor (and restaurateur) Lou Canellis, consultant Mickey Segal and attorney Lisa Duarte. ON SATURDAY: Illinois Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford held what she plans on being an annual Badass Women’s Luncheon honoring women excelling in their careers and community. Among the honorees at The Red Door in Broadview were Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Deputy Govs. Sol Flores and Bria Scudder, Clerk of the Circuit Court Iris Martinez, Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Department of Commerce Director Kristin Richards and Tiffany Hightower, the executive director of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation. Also spotted: state Sen. Sue Rezin, state Sen. Adriane Johnson, state Rep. Kim du Buclet, political insider Liz Brown-Reeves, lobbyist Libby Brunsvold and Department of Commerce Chief of Staff Becky Locker.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked what parade you try not to miss. Janice Anderson: Wheaton July 4th parade. Lissa Druss and Brian Bernardoni: Columbus Day parade. Mary Kay Minaghan: Forest Park St. Patrick's Day parade. Ed Mazur: Wellington Oakdale Old Glory Marching Society, also known as WOOGMS parade. Kevin P. Morris: Lake Bluff July 4th parade. Luis Narváez: Bud Billiken parade. Andy Shaw: Lakeside, Mich., July 4th parade. What’s a team-building activity that works? Email skapos@politico.com
| | DELEGATION | | — Republican Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) and Democratic Congresswoman Grace Napolitano of California reintroduced legislation to designate Route 66 as a National Historic Trail.
| | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | | — Fighting for trust: The painful journey of the Supreme Court after Dobbs, by POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein — Biden speaks with Zelenskyy about attempted mutiny in Russia, by POLITICO’s Kelly Garrity
| | A message from Uber: Going where taxis won’t go
The City of Chicago’s own study found that nearly 30% of Uber & Lyft rides start in underserved neighborhoods like Avalon Park and Pullman.*
Learn more about the City of Chicago’s study.
*PPV Study April,'23 | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Ryan Johnson has joined Evergreen Strategy Group as senior director. He was deputy director of communications for then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and is a BerlinRosen, Sen. Cory Booker, and Congressman Bobby Rush alum. — Len Wolfe has been re-elected to serve for a second three-year term as the Dykema law firm’s chair and CEO, starting Jan. 1.
| | | TRIVIA | | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Mary Kay Minaghan for correctly pointing out there were two former mayors arrested for allegedly helping Confederate soldiers. Levi Boone and Buckner Stith Morris. TODAY’s QUESTION: Where is Black Hawk Statue and who does it honor? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | A Better Chicago CEO Beth Swanson, West Monroe marketing exec Christina Galoozis Hill, former state Board of Investment Chair Marc Levine, political guru Bernie Schoenburg, Centene Corporation marketing exec Conor Gee and The Win Company’s Graeme Zielinski. -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 | | | | |  |
