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Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Happy Wednesday, Illinois. The seemingly slow political season in Illinois is picking up steam.
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The countdown to the 2024 Democratic National Convention looms over the Democratic leaders getting a preview of the United Center on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. | POLITICO's Shia Kapos | POLITICAL-PALOOZA! Three big stories in Illinois politics share a similar theme: Republicans are appealing to their base to throw off Democrats ahead of the 2024 general elections. From impeachment moves to a book ban debate and impugning a state Supreme Court justice, the cultural divide between Republicans and Democrats was on full display Tuesday. Let’s take them one by one. CONVENTION ZONE: Democratic state party leaders from around the country visited Chicago for a preview of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. They were more focused scoping out seats at the United Center than on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy moving forward to impeach President Joe Biden. Best quote: “Sometimes stupidity is a blessing for the opposition party,” Carroll G. Robinson, chair of the Texas Democratic Convention Committee and chair of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, told reporters after he marveled at the Bulls’ altar. It’s an opinion shared by Democratic Party chairs and executive directors from Washington state to Florida. They see McCarthy’s move as pure politics. And the White House seems to agree, report POLITICO’s Sam Stein and Jonathan Lemire. THE R-RATED HEARING: Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, also a Democrat, testified before a Senate Judiciary hearing chaired by Sen. Dick Durbin about the Illinois bill that works to ban book bans. The hearing went viral when Republican Sen. John Kennedy tried making his pro-book-ban point by reading sexually graphic passages from books — without putting the text in context. Kennedy’s icky move prompted Giannoulias to acknowledge that, yeah, “the words coming out of your mouth are disturbing.” The point is, added Giannoulias, that parents can decide what their own children read. “Random parents [should not have] the ability under the guise of keeping kids safe to try and challenge the worldview of every single manner on these issues,” Giannoulias said in response to Kennedy. “Senator, with all due respect, parents absolutely have a say.” Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet reports from D.C. THE HORRIBLE IRONY: Hours after Giannoulias testified, bomb threats were received by Harold Washington Library in Chicago and libraries in Evanston, Aurora and Addison, reports NBC 5’s James Neveau. A JUDICIAL JAB: The Illinois Republican Party is decrying state Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford’s recent keynote speech at the Lake County Democratic Women’s fundraising gala. Republicans say Rochford overstepped her bounds as a judge by creating a perception of bias since the group she spoke to clearly backs Democrats. Rochford ran as a Democrat, though she shed that affiliation once she got a seat on the high court. Watch for a complaint to the Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board. For what it’s worth, attendees said Rochford opened her speech saying she wouldn’t get political. And she didn’t. There was no discussion of reproductive rights or gun legislation, both high-profile subjects facing the court and pitting Republicans and Democrats in Illinois. “It was actually really a boring speech,” said one attendee. If you are John Kennedy, Playbook would like to know how you would explain that hearing to your grandkids. Email skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | No official public events.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | | At Fourth Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. for the funeral of Chicago Fire Department Lt. Kevin Ward. — At the Palmer House Hilton at 5:05 p.m. for the Bond Buyer Conference Fireside Chat.
| | | Where's Toni | | | In Washington, D.C., to meet with members of the Illinois congressional delegation. Before impeachment chatter gets in the way, send me a line: skapos@politico.com
| | | | GO INSIDE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST DIPLOMATIC PLATFORM WITH UNGA PLAYBOOK: The 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly will jam some of the world's most influential leaders into four city blocks in Manhattan. POLITICO's special edition UNGA Playbook will take you inside this important gathering starting Sept. 17 — revealing newsy nuggets throughout the week and insights into the most pressing issues facing global decision-makers today. Sign up for UNGA Playbook. | | | | | | | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — Illinois’ Elections Board fields questions about knocking Trump off the March primary ballot: “But a top state election official says it would be up to Illinois’ judiciary, not the State Board of Elections, to ultimately decide whether Donald Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 insurrection disqualifies him as a candidate for president,” by WBEZ’s Dave McKinney.
|  Yolanda Morris has been named to the 9th District Illinois House seat. | SEIU photo | — Yolanda Morris, a former nursing home worker and SEIU Healthcare organizer, was appointed Tuesday to fill the 9th District seat that includes Chicago and into the western suburbs. The seat was held by former state Rep. Lakesia Collins — who moved across the Capitol to serve as a 5th District state senator. Collins also worked with SEIU Healthcare.
| | | 2024 WATCH | | | — In IL-11, businessman Jerry Evans announced he’s running as a Republican for the seat now held by Democratic Congressman Bill Foster. “Washington is in desperate need of a new conservative perspective, not more of the same,” Evans said in his announcement. He describes himself as “a Christian, husband, father and political outsider.” — Chris Balkema, chair of the Grundy County Board, is running for the Illinois state Senate in the 53rd District, which includes parts of Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect. Balkema is a self-described “conservative and stalwart of the Republican Party.” The seat is now held by Democratic state Rep. Mark Walker. — Chicago Ald. Daniel La Spata is announcing that he’s running for re-election for Democratic committeeperson of the 1st Ward.
| | | THE STATEWIDES | | | — Belleville Shoe manufacturer wins $7.8M contract to supply boots to the Army, via The Telegraph’s Ronald DeBrock — Tobacco bonds snuffed: Gov. JB Pritzker announced Tuesday that $449 million in tobacco bonds have been paid off through debt service savings and interest earnings in an aggregate of $50 million, according to the governor’s office. — State Fair by the numbers: More than 700,000 people attended over the 11-day event. Chart here
| | CHICAGO | | — SCOOP: Chicago facing 2024 budget shortfall of $538M — more than a third of it tied to migrant crisis: Mayor Brandon Johnson didn’t adopt all of the budget measures his predecessor, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, called for — including the “automatic escalator that would have increased property taxes to match the rate of inflation,” reports Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — More on Johnson’s plan to set up migrant ‘base camps’, by WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg — City Council’s only Jewish member proposes massive re-write of Chicago’s hate crime ordinance: “The ordinance Ald. Debra Silverstein plans to introduce would create the category of a non-criminal ‘hate incident,’ which Chicagoans could report either by calling the city’s 311 non-emergency number or by using the 311 app,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — Blackhawks project, Fulton Market towers get OK from City Council zoning panel, by Sun-Times’ David Roeder — Robberies in Chicago at 6-year high: Neighborhoods on the West and Northwest sides “had the biggest jump in robberies, but citywide numbers lower than 10 years ago,” by WBEZ’s Anna Savchenko.
| | | SPOTTED | | | — Mayor Brandon Johnson celebrated the career of retired Ald. Howard Brookins Jr. on Tuesday at a gathering held at Mercury-Illinois, which is headed by former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. In the room: State Sen. Elgie Sims, Ald. Michelle Harris, Ald. Pat Dowell, Rep. Kim du Buclet, Ald. Lamont Robinson, Ald. Ronnie Mosley, Judge Thaddeus Wilson, city Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, Commissioner Larry Rogers, Democratic Committeeman Dean Maragos, former Alds. Leslie Hairston, Roderick Sawyer and Proco Joe Morenoy, and of course, former Ald. and state Sen. Howard Brookins Sr.
| | SPOTLIGHT | | — Violence interrupted: Community leaders from across the country are in town this week for the launch of the Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. The program is run by the University of Chicago’s Crime Lab. The academy’s first cohort of 31 students from 21 cities are participating in a six-month program that addresses how to be a good manager and leader to help enhance their public safety efforts and violence reduction initiatives. Supporting the program: CEOs Ken Griffin, Michael Sacks, Tom and Susan Dunn and John DeBlasio, and restaurateur RJ Melman. Backing it up: The Crime Lab is also out with new research showing a new behavioral-science-informed police training program “reduces uses of force and discretionary arrests — particularly in communities of color.” Here’s the report — The decision to launch the initiative came after the pandemic gave way to a spike in gun violence, by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba — ‘The challenge is that many of these individuals were never trained in how to run an organization,’ Chico Tillmon, director of the CVI academy, told the Chicago Defender’s Tacuma Roeback
| | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Northwestern lobbying effort raises questions about Evanston City Council members’ ties to community group, by NBC 5 Mary Ann Ahern — There’s a bold new plan to bolster public transit: “Universal fare passes. A new governing structure. Here’s how a planning group wants to patch up CTA, Metra and PACE,” by WBEZ’s Claudia Morell. — Texas data center firm closes on deal for Sears campus in Hoffman Estates, by Daily Herald’s Eric Peterson
| | DAY IN COURT | | — Jussie Smollett case: Oral arguments begin for actor's appeal of hate crime hoax conviction, by ABC 7’s Evelyn Holmes and Stephanie Wade — DCFS workers could’ve saved 5-year-old AJ Freund from beating death if they’d acted on abuse complaint, administrator testifies, by Tribune’s Robert McCoppin
| | | | Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked for your favorite Greg Hinz stories. Roberto Cornelio: "I've always liked that Greg sports earrings like real men." Claude Walker: “When he was at Lerner Publicans, Greg covered my '84 state rep race. At a debate, I had a pint of ice cream and scooped some into a bowl to dramatize my opponent being a triple-dipper. Debate wraps up and Hinz is eating my prop! Gotta love the guy.” Whitley Works: “During an appearance on WTTW ahead of the 1996 presidential election, he characterized the general public perception of the Clinton-Dole race as 'a matchup of stinky-vs-the-old-f@rt.'” What do you predict will come of Kevin McCarthy’s impeachment move? Email skapos@politico.com
| | DELEGATION | | — CABLE READY: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and nine other members of the Illinois congressional delegation are requesting information from the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Communications Commission and General Services Administration on lead-covered cables. The request follows a Wall Street Journal investigative report identifying more than 2.000 toxic cables across the nation. Letter to EPA. Letter to FCC. Letter to GSA.
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Senate confirms Illinois Judge Jeffery Cummings to the federal trial bench, by Tribune’s Bob Goldsborough — Why a Democratic labor ally is threatening Biden’s energy agenda, by POLITICO’s Tanya Snyder and James Bikales — Hillary Clinton's full-circle moment to the White House, by The Associated Press’ Darlene Superville
| | TRIVIA | | TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Fred Lebed and Andrea Darlas for correctly answering that Illinois Agriculture College in Irvington was the first agricultural college established by the Illinois General Assembly — in 1861. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the Baseball Hall of Famer appointed to the Illinois Racing Board by Gov. Richard Ogilvie? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former Congressman Peter Roskam, now a partner at Baker Hostetler; former state Rep. David Olsen; director of scheduling and advance for the VP (and a Rep. Phil Hare alum) Kelsey Smith and attorney Elias Matsakis. -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 | | | | |  |
