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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Happy Thursday, Illinois. On this day in 1959, the late Queen of England visited Chicago, and it was grand, via NBC 5.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Precious Brady-Davis has been appointed to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. | Photo provided | Precious Brady-Davis made history Wednesday when Gov. JB Pritzker appointed her to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. Brady-Davis is the first openly transgender Black woman to be appointed to a Cook County seat. She’s got cred: Brady-Davis is associate regional communications director with the local Sierra Club, so she’s well-familiar with the MWRD’s mission. And her appointment to the job will give her an edge to get the Democratic Party of Illinois’ endorsement next month when it determines who to slate for the seat for the 2024 election. Brady-Davis already said she’s running. Singing praise: In separate statements, Pritzker called her a “trailblazer” and Equality Illinois CEO Brian Johnson described her as “a dedicated public servant.” About the unions: Labor folks had wanted Deborah Cosey-Lane, former president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308, for the appointment. This wouldn’t be the first time, however, that the governor has gone against labor’s wishes. Keeping the job: Holding onto the county-wide seat won’t be simple. Along with being up for grabs in 2024 because the appointed position needs to be filled by an elected person, it will be open in 2026, too, when the seat automatically opens up. That's a lot of campaigning. Musical chairs: The MWRD appointment came about after Kim Neely Du Buclet left the position because she was appointed to the Illinois General Assembly to fill the seat of former Rep. Lamont Robinson, who won a Chicago City Council seat. Another first: Earlier this year, Clare Killman was elected to serve on the Carbondale City Council. The community group Pride in Action-Southern Illinois said Killman is the first transgender person to serve on a city council in Illinois.
| | | THE BUZZ | | | ALL SHOOK UP: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former school teacher, is shaking up the city’s Board of Education. The mayor has replaced all but one member of the group, including adding a new board president who spent the past four years leading a parents advocacy group. The appointments offer “another glimpse” of Johnson’s vision for the country’s fourth-largest district “as the city nears a high-stakes transition away from longstanding mayoral control of its school district to an elected school board,” reports Chalkbeat’s Mila Koumpilova. It’s got challenges: “The new board takes over as the district also faces a more precarious financial picture, with federal Covid recovery dollars running out next year and rising costs related to employee pensions and other debt,” adds Koumpilova. — From the WBEZ/Sun-Times story: “The new board will have a different feel than in past years when consultants, lawyers and bankers filled many of the seven seats. Only one of Johnson’s appointees is a lawyer, and she runs a legal aid organization,” report Sarah Karp, Nader Issa and Fran Spielman. Meet Jianan Shi, the new board of education president. His statement here. If you are Jianan Shi, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com.
| | | | JOIN 7/11 FOR A TALK ON THE FAA’S FUTURE: Congress is making moves to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, laying the groundwork for the FAA’s long-term agenda to modernize the aviation sector to meet the challenges of today and innovate for tomorrow. Join POLITICO on July 11 to discuss what will make it into the final reauthorization bill and examine how reauthorization will reshape FAA’s priorities and authorities. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At Davis Park in Rockford at 9 a.m. to announce a new Metra intercity rail project.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | At Greater Harvest Baptist Church at 10 a.m. for the release of his administration's transition report.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Cook County Building at 9:30 a.m. along with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and other officials to announce the expansion of urgent care services in Arlington Heights. It’s Thursday already, so fire up the laptop and send your thoughts: skapos@politico.com
| | CONVENTION ZONE | | — The national Democratic Party sent out a donation email reminding folks about the fun they had the last time the Democratic National Convention was in Chicago: “The year was 1996. The first Nintendo 64 gaming console had just been released. ‘ER,’ ‘Friends’ and ‘Seinfeld’ topped the TV ratings. And the hit song of the summer — and the convention — was Los del Rio’s ‘Macarena,’” the donor email reads. It includes a video of that memorable 1996 moment.
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — In IL-11, Democratic Congressman Bill Foster has launched his reelection campaign. “As a scientist and businessman who ran for Congress to solve problems, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished, yet I know we have more work to do,” he said in a statement. List of his supporters here. — In IL-12, Republican Darren Bailey is out with a new, stylized digital ad that takes on the “woke” culture wars and praises former President Donald Trump. “He was right on the tax cuts. He was right on the Supreme Court. With his appointments we wouldn’t have been able to overturn Roe v. Wade. And he was right on China.” — Another open seat: Chicago Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd Ward Democratic committeeman and chair, is organizing in-person interviews to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of state Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas for the party’s 20th District state Senate seat. The interviews will be Monday at 6 p.m. at Hamlin Park Field House (doors open at 5:15 p.m.). Candidates interested in applying for the position must email a cover letter and resume to IL20SenateApp@gmail.com by 10 p.m. tonight for consideration. — Brewing up funds: The Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association is holding a fundraiser Monday at Eris Brewery and Cider House. Details here
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — HOME AGAIN: The Illinois State Museum has returned 37 wooden memorial statues, known as vigango, to the National Museums of Kenya for repatriation to Mijikenda communities. “These statues are considered sacred cultural objects and are believed to carry the spirits of male elders who have passed away,” according to a statement. — More than 5,000 still without power in Springfield nearly a week after storm, by State Journal-Register’s Zach Roth — Automakers' contract negotiations will decide potential EV future for idled Illinois plant, by Reuters’ Bianca Flowers — Illinois' maternal health crisis especially impacting women of color, reports WBBM’s Craid Dellimore — Women with opioid use disorder face stigma in getting help, seeking treatment, by Tribune’s Nell Salzman
| | CHICAGO | | — WATCH FOR IT: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transition committee and subcommittees are set to present their report — a 200-plus page document to serve as a “blueprint” for managing the city and bringing about “dynamic change in the issue areas identified as priorities during his campaign,” the committee said in a statement. A spokeswoman wouldn’t let us take a sneak peek, saying “The mayor won't see the report” until today, either. — Chicago’s pension crisis worsens with investment losses: “Losses from the market downturn were offset somewhat by taxes on sales, transactions, restaurants and amusements, the 2022 financial report from Deloitte & Touche says,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Some Chicago officials and businesses wave a caution flag on bringing back NASCAR: But former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who attended the event, called it a “love letter” to Chicago, report WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg and Mariah Woelfel. — Chicago Police address public safety efforts during holiday weekend that saw 57 shot over 4 days: Superintendent Fred Waller said his department does do “some things” to try to curb illegal firearm use, but said those calls fall below other more serious emergency situations, reports WTTW’s Matt Masterson.
| | | | 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. | | | | | | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — How a school board race in the blue state of Illinois became a nationally funded cage match: The 1776 Project PAC was formed in early 2021 “with a mission of supporting local board candidates taking on school programs supporting diversity and inclusion. Since 2021, the PAC has expanded its push to move school boards to the right and has spent nearly $4 million to support local candidates, with nearly $1 million of it coming from one Illinois-based megadonor, Richard Uihlein. It’s a small sum by national election standards but a huge amount to pour into school board races, where fund-raising often stays in the hundreds of dollars,” by Boston Globe’s Tal Kopan.
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Jan. 6 defendant who cased Obama’s D.C. neighborhood made week-long series of threats, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney — Son of former state Sen. Eddie Acevedo gets 2 months for filing false tax claims, by Sun-Times’ Andy Grimm.
| | Reader Digest | | We asked if you’ve ever protested a business. Brian Bernardoni: “Walked a picket line with my dad at O'Hare protesting against United Airlines when my dad and his union (the IAM) went on strike. I was 10.” Phil Crivellone: “Years ago I protested outside Cigna Healthcare's Chicago location.” Terry Cosgrove: “At Skokie Jewel grocery stores supporting the United Farm Workers' grape and lettuce boycott” over concerns about how produce was being picked. Mary Kay Minaghan: “I waged a media campaign — called reporter Walter Jacobson — to protest a local Jewel store that wouldn’t let me have a newspaper stand outside of the store. I was 10.” Patricia Ann Watson: “I joined a protest march against Dillard’s policies towards Blacks. It was 1984 and I carried my 9-month-old because strollers weren’t allowed.” Who are political rivals you can’t forget? Email skapos@politico.com
| | TAKING NAMES | | — BATTER UP: Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) is in the line-up for the Congressional Women’s Softball Game on July 12. Details here — BRING HOME THE BACON: Lukas Walton, the grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, is now the wealthiest person in Illinois, clocking in at $23.2 billion, according to the latest list from Forbes. He takes the top spot after Citadel founder Ken Griffin moved to Florida. Griffin is now the wealthiest person in the Sunshine State, with $33.2 billion.
| | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | | — A new POLITICO Magazine/Ipsos poll finds one thing that unites people on the Trump indictments, by POLITICO’s Ankush Khardori — COLUMN: Whitmer seems ready for the next step, but an octogenarian president stands in her way, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin — J.D. Vance’s new target: Wall Street banks, by POLITICO’s Eleanor Mueller — Leaping from senator to president won’t be easy for Tim Scott, by POLITICO’s Burgess Everett and Natalie Allison
| | IN MEMORIAM | | — Richard M Stock, a retired judicial circuit court judge, has died. He was 71. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Abraham Lincoln delivered his last Illinois speech at Tolono station on Feb. 11, 1861. Earlier that same day, he delivered a speech in Springfield. TODAY’s QUESTION: What was the original name of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former President George W. Bush, state Rep. Kelly Burke, former state rep and former State Liquor Commission director Sam Panayotovich, POLITICO Senior Managing Editor for Standards & Ethics Anita Kumar, St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Will Boyd, PNC Asset Management Group EVP Carole Browne (former City of Chicago CFO), Italian Village marketing chief Pam Capitanini, SEIU comms program manager Jennifer Owens, former political candidate Thomas Maillard, Gateway Foundation marketing manager Thelma Sardin, SKDK public affairs strategist Jill Zuckman and writer Robert Loerzel. -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 | | | | |  |
