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Presented by the Save My Scholarship Coalition: Shia Kapos' must-read rundown of political news in the Land of Lincoln | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by the Save My Scholarship Coalition | Good Monday morning, Illinois. Hats off to the Bears for starting our week off with a win.
|  | TOP TALKER | | RESOLUTION REPOSE: State lawmakers aren’t expected to vote on any resolutions related to the Middle East during the veto session that starts this week. Taking a position: Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon, both Democrats, are taking the view that state lawmakers should focus on state issues — not what’s happening in another part of the world. Critics, of course, say silence speaks louder than words. Behind the scenes: Welch and Harmon have privately indicated to lawmakers they won’t call any resolutions on the issue. They know that allowing a pro-Israel resolution to pop up would prompt a pro-Palestinian resolution to follow, and vice versa, which could create party chaos as Democrats are split on the issue. The logic: Harmon and Welch want to avoid a repeat of what happened in the Chicago City Council earlier this month that saw rowdy members of the public kicked out of the chambers and aldermen leaving the building in order to avoid going on the record on a resolution supporting Israel. Not to be deterred: Republican Rep. Brad Halbrook and Senate Minority Leader Tony McCombie have offered up resolutions condemning the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel. But with Democrats in charge, those measures aren’t likely to see the light of day. What we could see: Watch for lawmakers to raise a point of personal privilege to speak in support of Israel and/or Palestinians. Speaking on the floor is similar to sending out a statement and doesn’t require any action. The rest of the session: There will be plenty of drama over how lawmakers will handle the bills vetoed by Gov. JB Pritzker. One big question focuses on whether lawmakers will extend the Invest In Kids tax credit scholarship program that benefits low-income families who send children to private schools. Republicans want it to be a permanent program, while a number of Democrats backed by the powerful Chicago Teachers Union want it to end. Here’s a rundown of bills vetoed by the governor, via Illinois Capitol News MORE ON THE WAR FACE TO FACE: Pro-Palestinian protests have popped up around Chicago, but the one Sunday was held right outside a gathering to show support for Israel. Profanities were yelled at each other as the pro-Israel group entered the community center in Skokie to hear Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Yinam Cohen and others speak. More than a thousand attended the somber event honoring those killed by Hamas. Outside on Touhy Avenue, about 200 pro-Palestinian activists gathered to protest Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. A shot was fired near the Palestinian group, pepper-spray injured others and police took a man into custody. Daily Herald’s Steve Zalusky has a full report. Hamas releases Evanston mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, by NBC News’ Alex Sundby Another American with Chicago ties is still being held by Hamas, by Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn and Lynn Sweet Local Palestinian Americans, Muslims face violence and backlash amid Israel-Hamas war, by Tribune’s Caroline Kubzansky, Angie Leventis Lourgos and Shanzeh Ahmad Biden’s Arab-American boosters begin to leave his side, by POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein
| | THE BUZZ | | CONVENTION ZONE: Republican-bused migrants throw a wrench into Democrats’ convention planning: “I don’t know if it’s a concern or just an additional challenge that we know that we’re going to have to deal with. Optically you certainly want to show Chicago in its best light. As part of the process, you identify all things that potentially could happen in any large scale event,” Richard Guidice, the mayor’s chief of staff, told your Playbook host. More on managing migrants: — Tension with the mayor: Ald. Julia Ramirez has told constituents that when the mayor asked aldermen to submit a location in their wards for a base camp for migrants, she didn’t submit one. The mayor’s office was in “direct contact” with the property owner at 38th Street and California Avenue for a proposed shelter, Ramirez wrote in a letter. “To my frustration, the mayor’s office did not consult with me,” she continued. Read the whole letter here. — Volunteers help migrants in search for permanent housing as Chicago struggles to keep up, by Tribune’s Laura Rodríguez Presa, Lizzie Kane and Nell Salzman — Chicago’s status as a sanctuary city has nothing to do with caring for the migrants, reports WTTW’s Heather Cherone If you are Tony McCombie, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com
| | | | A message from the Save My Scholarship Coalition: Over 9,500 students are counting on the Illinois General Assembly to save the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. If they fail to act NOW, then students from low-income families will lose their scholarships, causing many to leave their best-fit schools. Most of these students are Black or Brown, and 100% are from households with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, 26,000 more students from low-income and working-class families sit anxiously on the waitlist. Do the right thing. | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At the Chicago Bar Association at 11 a.m. to join the Arab American Bar Association in condemning hate and violence.
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | No official public events.
| | Where's Toni | | At 3700 East 103rd Street at 10 a.m. to mark the completion of a three-year habitat restoration project. Call me maybe, or at least 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 | | — Women in the General Assembly reflect on days of bipartisanship, by Kerry Lester Kasper for Center for Illinois Politics — Nuclear power in Illinois: Behind the scenes at Byron Generating Station, by Daily Herald’s Jenny Whidden — Unions push to represent more workers, but organized labor’s share of jobs is declining, by Sun-Times’ David Roeder
| | 2024 WATCH | | — State Rep. Kelly Burke (36th) isn’t seeking reelection in 2024. Burke, who’s also the mayor of Evergreen Park, says she decided to step away from state government after recovering from colon cancer. “I finished chemotherapy at the end of June and was focused on restoring my strength and thinking about prioritizing,” she told Playbook. Burke said she’ll be able to put her focused energy on being mayor. “I will continue to do that as long as they’ll have me.” Burke has been in the General Assembly since 2011 and currently chairs the Revenue and Finance Committee. — Digging into fundraising numbers in race between Congressman Bill Foster and Dem challenger Qasim Rashid, by Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau — Mariyana Spyropoulos, who’s running for clerk of the Circuit Court against incumbent Iris Martinez, is out with a list of endorsements, including from Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Mike Quigley and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. Here’s the full list.
| | | | A message from the Save My Scholarship Coalition:   | | | | | CHICAGO | | — Mayor Johnson agrees to sweeten police contract, extend it 2 years: “The tentative agreement calls for doubling the annual pay raise that rank-and-file police officers were scheduled to receive in 2024 and 2025 — from 2.5 percent to 5 percent,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. — INVESTIGATION: Chicago police officers with ties to extremist Oath Keepers stay on the force. Some have troubling records: “Some of the officers tied to the Oath Keepers have been departmental trainers, teaching young cops how to do the job,” by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos, Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba and Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s Kevin G. Hall. — Police Superintendent Larry Snelling looks back at lessons learned, by Tribune’s Sam Charles — Declining corporate travel and industry changes have left O’Hare airport slow to recover from the pandemic, by Tribune’s Sarah Freishtat — Chicago Audubon Society changing to Chicago Bird Alliance to reject the name of slaveholder John James Audubon, by Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott landed in Chicago on Sunday. He’s in town to deliver a speech on “race and power” at New Beginnings Church, which is headed by Pastor Corey Brooks. Pic! — State Sen. Robert Peters, former Chicago Ald. Michele Smith, University of Illinois at Chicago professor emeritus Dick Simpson and WTTW reporter Amanda Vinicky, were honored last week for their work by Reform for Illinois, the nonprofit that advocates for transparency in government.
| | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | A lot of you responded to our question asking what led you to be politically engaged: Jane Ruby, League of Women Voters Chicago president: "My parents would let me flip the switches on the ballot machine on Election Day, and it always made me feel like I was voting, too.” Vickie M. Smith, CEO of Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence: “In high school, watching the Vietnam War protests and the Nixon White house behavior.” Kristopher Anderson: “My grandmother being upset about General Hospital being preempted by the Iran-Contra affair.” Rev. William E. Crowder Jr.: “Watching TV in 1978 when a very young Bill Clinton won the governor's race.” Delio Calzolari: “My father’s immigration story from Italy and my mother returning to the workforce after he passed. I was a school lunch program kid.” Mike Gascoigne: “Barack Obama’s initial presidential campaign.” Greg Goldner: “The 1989 PLA crackdown in Tiananmen Square in China.” Michael Kreloff: “President Johnson sending troops into the Dominican Republic in 1965.” Gracia Livie: “When my school district denied a doctor’s mask exemption and required our intellectually disabled toddler to try to mask to attend school.” Scotty Miller: "I work in the nuclear field and am a member of the Boilermaker union. In 2017, I lost $5,000 in tax write-offs. If I owned a jet plane, I'm sure I could get a tax write-off." John Nellis: “Working for Congressman Morgan Murphy in 1976 doing literature drop.” Magen Ryan: “In high school, I worked at a candy store and frequently bought hot dogs on my breaks from our local ‘Hot Dog Lady.’ Some local businesses were trying to get her booted, so a coworker and I made T-shirts, got more than 400 people to sign a petition and spoke at a City Council meeting about what an icon she was. We succeeded and she stayed put.” Steven Smith: “The Vietnam War. I was 19 and subject to the draft. Luckily, I got a high number. I had plans to go to Canada to live with cousins if necessary.” Steven Zaris: “It was a crush on my 5th grade teacher who was a volunteer for Eugene McCarthy’s 1968 presidential run.” What’s the biggest improvement in your life in the past three years? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — GOP speaker chaos: 9 Republicans will battle for top post, via POLITICO’s Congress team — Once a favorite of the right. Now, Mike Pence can’t get a crowd of 15 to a Pizza Ranch, by POLITICO’s Adam Wren — POT POURRI: Weed wins galvanize Capitol Hill’s anti-cannabis club, by POLITICO’s Natalie Fertig
| | | | A message from the Save My Scholarship Coalition: Voters are very clear: They support the Tax Credit Scholarship Program by an overwhelming margin of more than 2:1. What’s at stake is the best-fit education of thousands of low-income students who receive a Tax Credit Scholarship or are waiting for one. Over half of the recipients are Black or Brown, and all the recipients qualify based on financial need. We cannot fail these children and their families. The Illinois General Assembly needs to extend the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program during this fall veto session. In addition to the 9,500 students who currently receive the scholarships, 26,000 more students from low-income and working-class families sit anxiously on the waitlist hoping to receive the same opportunities as some of their peers. This commitment is an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so lawmakers should do the right thing: Extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program. | | | | | IN MEMORIAM | | — Frank M. Loffredo, the former longtime mayor of Lake Villa, has died. He was 78, by Daily Herald’s Doug T. Graham
| | EVENTS | | — Oct. 25: A Veterans Town Hall will be held at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library. The event is sponsored by Chicago Veterans. Details here
| | TRIVIA | | FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Kyle Ryan for correctly answering that Broadway Avenue and Sheridan Road intersect near Irving Park Road, Montrose Avenue and Devon Avenue in Chicago. TODAY’s QUESTION: What famed Chicago architect has a beach named after her in the Rogers Park neighborhood? Email skapos@politico.com
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