|
Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. Thanks for plugging in on what’s supposed to be rainy day.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Chicago Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) heads the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. | WTTW screen shot | BIG TENT: City Hall is still working out the kinks about how it will carry out Mayor Brandon Johnson's plan to create tented base camps for asylum seekers around Chicago, though Ald. Andre Vasquez would like to see the city buy vacant buildings instead. Tents are “not ideal,” said Vasquez, who heads the Chicago City Council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. "We should actually be using the funds that we're getting to acquire property and rehab buildings that we currently have. If you partnered up with the trade unions, you'd be able to get something done to increase your capacity before winter.” Tents would be temporary structures, he notes. “So after we're past this moment, what will we have to show for it? Buying property would allow us to have assets once we get through this,” Vasquez told Playbook in an interview. Those buildings could then be adapted as homeless shelters or mental health clinics, which are also part of the mayor's long-term strategy for the city, Vasquez adds. "This moment actually creates the opportunity to set up shelters in different places in a way that would not normally happen, but for the crisis."
| | THE BUZZ | | DAY ONE of cashless bail, and it looks like Illinois survived. Here are some take-aways: — 'It went well': Cashless bail gets a smooth rollout in suburban courtrooms: “Of six first-appearance hearings — formerly known as bond hearings — held in Kane County, one defendant was detained on a domestic violence charge and another was detained on a stalking charge, Kane County Chief Judge Clint Hull said. Daily Herald’s Barbara Vitello and Susan Sarkauskas report. — In Domestic Violence Court, cases get closer review, judge works ‘few kinks out of the system’: Of the 16 cases of misdemeanor domestic violence before Judge Michael Hogan, “prosecutors sought to detain people in 14 of the cases. The judge granted their requests in five of them after evaluating the person’s criminal background and checking the assessment from Pretrial Services,” by Sun-Times’ Sophie Sherry. — WTTW’s take on Cook County courtrooms on the day cash bail ends: “During the very first initial appearance hearing in Cook County, 24-year-old Esmeralda Aguilar was released with conditions following her arrest on four felony charges of aggravated battery to a peace officer. ... She allegedly pulled out a canister of pepper spray and sprayed it at four Chicago police officers. Aguilar’s public defender noted that this was her first Chicago arrest and that she is the sole provider for a young child.” Matt Masterson reports. — Tribune’s view at Leighton Criminal Courts Building: At a detention hearing for a defendant facing a gun charge, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz ordered they be released on electronic monitoring, denying the state’s petition for detention. “I do believe electronic monitoring will suffice in securing the safety of the community and his appearance in court,” Ortiz said. Madeline Buckley reports. If you are Mayor Brandon Johnson, Playbook would like to talk tents. Email skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | At the Clinton Global Initiative panel in New York at 12:30 p.m. CT for a panel discussion on reproductive rights. Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles has details.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | | At the Chicago Public Library’s Austin Branch at 9 a.m. to announce a grant from Comcast to fund digital navigators at 26 libraries — At a groundbreaking at the University of Chicago at 10:30 a.m. for its new cancer care and research center — At 111 N. State Street at 1 p.m. for a ribbon cutting of Ferrero’s new research and development labs in the Marshall Field building. Tribune’s Talia Soglin has details.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington at 10 a.m. for the Forest Preserves board meeting. Try to ignore the D.C. budget drama and email: skapos@politico.com
| | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | THE STATEWIDES | | — Centuries after Native American remains were dug up, a new law returns them for reburial in Illinois: “Key to the measure is first-time authority for tribes to rebury recovered remains in Illinois, which they much prefer to relocating them to states to which the U.S. government forced their relocation nearly two centuries ago,” report The Associated Press’ John O’Connor and Melissa Perez Winder — Church attendance soars: Catholic students will lose subsidies if parents don't attend regularly: “This month, priests began taking attendance to make sure parents of students enrolled in Springfield's Catholic schools are attending worship services — and the families who aren't regularly attending could lose tuition breaks worth thousands of dollars,” by Illinois Times’ Scott Reeder. — HIGHER-ED: Northwestern U. edges out U. of Chicago to be the state's highest-ranked school, by Crain’s Jack Grieve
| | CHICAGO | | — Chicago could become largest U.S. city to independently abolish tipped wage under Mayor Brandon Johnson compromise: “The five-year phase out of Chicago’s subminimum wage — longer than the two years detailed in the original proposal — means that starting next July, tipped workers will be due raises that will shrink that 40 percent gap by 8 percent each year until parity is reached by July 1, 2028,” by Tribune’s Alice Yin. — Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman on how it happened: “The agreement was reached after Johnson and his City Council allies shot down the Illinois Restaurant Association’s eleventh-hour proposal to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to $20.54 an hour, but only at restaurants with more than $3 million in annual revenue. Realizing that proposal was dead on arrival, Sam Toia, president of the restaurant association, accepted the five-year phase-in. “The train was leaving the station. I know how to count votes. I counted the votes,” Toia said. — Trillion-dollar industry powering Chicago is at risk of leaving: DRW, IMC, CME, Cboe “are some of the derivatives firms that collectively handle trillions of dollars a year in trades, greasing the wheels of global markets with everything from stock options to corn futures. Most of them have called Chicago home for decades — providing thousands of jobs within the city’s $75 billion finance industry. … A slew of taxes threatens the future of Chicago as a finance hub. They want new mayor to curb surging crime,” by Bloomberg’s Isis Almeida — Mayor Brandon Johnson announces plans to address pollution burdens in Chicago’s environmental justice neighborhoods, by Tribune’s Michael Hawthorne — Congestion, chaos from Mexican Independence Day crowds must be addressed, City Council members say, by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman — New York has seized 3 artworks from Chicago’s Art Institute and other museums because they could have been Holocaust-era thefts, by Fortune’s Karen Matthews and the Associated Press
| | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — Illinois Dems criticize Biden adviser, cut ties with PR firm over #MeToo conflict: "The glaring conflict of interest and conduct in this case sends a chilling message to victims and survivors that they can't even trust the people who claim to be their greatest supporters," House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said in a statement. "We find this to be deeply disheartening and disqualifying for us." NPR’s Tom Dreisbach reports. — Protestors burn American flags at Jason Aldean concert in Tinley Park, and the Illinois State Rifle Association responds by offering the country music star a complimentary lifetime membership, according to Illinois Review
| | | 2024 WATCH | | | — Democrats look to make downstate gains while Republicans go after Chicago suburbs in 2024: In statewide elections, success downstate has “eluded Democrats for years. Flip the calendar back to 2006 for the last time a Democratic gubernatorial candidate had a strong performance. That's when incumbent Gov. Rod Blagojevich used support along the Ohio River to secure a second term. No other Democrat running for governor or other statewide candidate has fared as well,” writes State Journal-Register’s Patrick Keck. — Judge Celia Gamrath, a candidate for appellate court, is out with an endorsement list that includes the Cook County Democratic Party, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and IUOE, Local 150, IUOE, Local 399, Plumbers and Local 130. Full list here — Tracy Katz Muhl, who’s running for state representative in the 57th District as a Democrat, has been endorsed by Gov. JB Pritzker, who praised Katz Muhl for "tenaciously serving her community as a grassroots organizer, Democratic committeeperson, gun violence prevention advocate, attorney, and school board president. She will be an effective and thoughtful representative for the 57th district,” via a release. Incumbent Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll announced he wouldn’t seek reelection. — William “Billy” Morgan is running for state representative for the 79th District as a Democrat. He’s a Monee Township trustee who previously worked in then-Gov. Pat Quinn’s office. Republican state Rep. Jackie Haas has held the seat since December 2020. — Clarifying: Chicago Ald. James Gardiner told us he won’t seek re-election as ward committeeperson so he can give his “undivided attention toward serving as alderman of the 45th Ward.” We mistakenly typed “surveying,” which didn’t make sense. As Gardiner told Playbook, “We are all human and allowed to make mistakes.”
| | | | 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 what historical print hangs in your house. Brian Bernardoni: “A vintage map of the City of Chicago from 1883 hangs in my living room and a framed signed photo of Richard J. Daley with his mass card is in my office.” Ted Cox: “A print of Matthew Brady’s shot of Grant at Cold Harbor.” Robert Christie: “A couple of Edward Curtis prints of Native Americans from the Sioux Nation taken between the late 1890s to early 1900s.” Javier Gloria: “I don’t have any historical prints, but I do have a Chicago Flag in my dorm!” Carol (Cain) Hughes: “A print of Springfield artist Bill Crook’s 1994 sketch of Lottie Holman O’Neill, Illinois’ first woman legislator.” Pic! Marilynn Miller: “The arch from the old Chicago Stock Exchange.” Jane Ruby, president of the League of Women Voters Chicago: A "War is not healthy for children and other living things" poster. What Democrat and Republican would you like to see in a head-to-head debate on Illinois issues? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — House GOP in open warfare over doomed spending plan, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beaver, Jordain Carney and Sarah Ferris — Senate leaders are trying to skate around conservative opposition to move forward on a package of funding bills, by POLITICO’s Ursula Perano — Trump to visit Detroit as UAW boss scorches him, by POLITICO’s Meridith McGraw and Kelly Garrity
| | Transitions | | — Kathleen Killion is assistant comptroller for operations and administration for Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza's office. She had been director of statewide accounting since 2015. Sarah Robinson takes over as director of statewide accounting. — Kim Howard is deputy comms director for the Illinois Office of Comptroller. She had been Illinois Office of Communication and Information radio manager at the state's Central Management Services Office and a reporter and anchor at WMAY and WUIS before that. She replaces Rachel Otwell, who is now comms director for the Department of Human Services.
| | TRIVIA | | MONDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to trivia masters Bill Hogan, Randy Bukas and Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering at the same time that Chicago Theater is modeled after Paris' Arc de Triomphe and Paris Opera House. TODAY’s QUESTION: : What Chicago born and raised actor has played a member of the CIA, DEA, FBI and U.S. Special Forces? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | State Sen. Karina Villa, former Congressman Tom Ewing, ProPublica reporter Jodi Cohen, journalist Marie Dillon and executive administrator Valarie Rand. -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 | | | | |  |
