| | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by Illini for Affordable Rx | TGIF, Illinois. Life really is returning to normal. Variety says Lollapalooza got the go-ahead for a four-day festival this summer.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | 
Congressman Chuy Garcia is introducing legislation May 14, 2021, that would create job opportunities for young people from struggling communities. | Getty Images | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Rep. Chuy Garcia, now in his second term in Congress, will introduce legislation today to create job opportunities for young people from historically disadvantaged communities like the ones he represents in Chicago. The Connecting Youth to Jobs Act is co-authored by fellow Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, the longest-serving woman in the history of the House. She's in her 20th term. The bill calls for funding state and local governments to create employment programs for young people ages 14 to 24 and focuses specifically on those facing barriers to employment, whether they're from minority communities, low-income households, impacted by the criminal justice system, or experiencing homelessness. They're the ones most likely to experience harm—"whether it's being a victim or a perpetrator of crime. They're the targets of gang recruitment," said Garcia. Two recent controversial police shootings in his Chicago district help fuel his resolve that a jobs program—along with community investment and police reform—is needed to steer young people away from the streets. "If young people had wrap-around support services, we would see a significant decrease in the kind of gang activity that is afflicting so many neighborhoods in Chicago and other cities," said Garcia. The Connecting Youth to Jobs Act would cost about $30 billion—with a $10 billion grant program that would provide wrap-around services that would help young people finish school, help with housing, health care, transportation, childcare for teen parents, and access to technology. "They're a critical piece for youth to be successful in employment and makes the bill most impactful," said Garcia, who credits similar programs with his own career success. Garcia worked in a youth employment program under the late Mayor Richard J. Daley in the mid-1960s, and he later was part of CETA, the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act that was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in 1973. Garcia trained as a paralegal and went to work for the city of Chicago under the late Mayor Harold Washington. "They were life-changing experiences for a kid growing up in Pilsen and later the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago," where Garcia lives today. The bill differs from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that's being steered by the House Education and Labor Committee and addresses broad employment issues. Garcia says drafting of the legislation took months and included discussions with young people and organizations that support them. "We talked with alternative high schools and youth who attend there and who have dropped out of school and we heard their stories about the things they need," he said. So far, the bill is a stand-alone measure, but Garcia hopes it could be incorporated into the larger American Jobs Act or the American Family Plan. He and Kaptur also hope for bipartisan support. "We've heard a lot of conversations on the House floor and committees that 'If young people had jobs some of this stuff wouldn't happen.' It's bipartisan." RELATED FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Rep. Bobby Rush is introducing legislation today to create a new civilian conservation corps and employ a million Americans in conservation and green infrastructure projects across the country. He says it could help address nearly $12 billion in deferred maintenance projects within the National Park Service system. The Restore Employment in Natural and Environmental Work (RENEW) Conservation Corps Act, which is modeled after President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, would authorize $55.8 billion over five years for a new program run though the Interior and Agriculture departments. The legislation was also introduced in the Senate last month by Sen. Dick Durbin. | | THE BUZZ | | The City of Chicago, like the state of Illinois, is asking the Treasury Department for permission to use a portion of its $1.9 billion in federal Covid-relief funding to pay off debt the city incurred to make ends meet during the pandemic. "The city plans to seek clarification on the guidance as well as provide comment," according to a statement from Mayor Lori Lightfoot's office. At issue are rules laid out by the Treasury Department about how the funding can be spent—paying off debt isn't allowed. The Sun-Times's Fran Spielman calls it a monkey wrench that could jeopardize the city being able to pay off $465 million in scoop-and-toss borrowing to balance the city's 2020 budget and cancel $500 million to make ends meet this year. City Hall hopes an exception can be made if the borrowing was a result of budgets being decimated by the pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker is sending a similar inquiry to the Treasury, asking whether the federal funding can cover a state loan incurred as a result of the pandemic. Not all the relief monies are on hold. Chicago Ald. Gilbert Villegas expects federal recovery funds will come next week to some city programs. He hopes it can kick start hearings for a guaranteed income pilot program to assist eligible households hurt most by the pandemic. He wants to see "less that 2 percent," or about $30 million, for the Guaranteed Basic Income pilot. RELATED Speaking of guaranteed income: Newly elected Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss became the 50th mayor to join Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a national organization that promotes the idea that guaranteed income can help achieve economic and racial justice. It was started by Michael Tubbs, the former mayor of Stockton, Calif., who led an effort to send $500 a month—no questions asked and no strings attached—to 125 residents living below the median wage of $46,000. The organization offers guidelines to members on creating similar programs. "I'm convinced that direct cash payments are a critical part of the solution to economic insecurity and inequality," Biss told Playbook. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com
| | | | A message from Illini for Affordable Rx: Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation, SB 2008, that will drastically increase prescription drug costs for Illinois health plan sponsors, patients, and the state's Medicaid program while increasing profits for pharmacies. SB 2008 could increase health care spending by more than $1 billion for families and employers and well over $200 million for Medicaid. It's time to take the politics out of prescriptions. Say no to SB 2008. Learn more at Illini for Affordable Rx | | | | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Add West Wing Playbook to keep up with the power players, latest policy developments and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing and across the highest levels of the Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | WHERE'S LORI | | At Quinn Fire Academy to congratulate new paramedics at a Chicago Fire Department graduation ceremony. | | WHERE'S J.B. | | No official public events. | | Where's Toni | | Schedule not available. | | THE LATEST NUMBERS | | The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 35 additional deaths and 1,918 new confirmed and probable cases of coronavirus disease. That's a total of 22,320 fatalities and 1,361,666 cases in Illinois. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from May 6 through 12 is 2.7 percent. Chicago's positivity rate is at 3.8 percent. | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | — Vax yes? Mask no! Pritzker to ease Illinois rules on face coverings for fully vaccinated following CDC update: "The updated guidelines remove the need for masks or social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated and would also allow them to go without a mask in crowds outdoors," by Sun-Times' Rachel Hinton. — We're entering Bridge Phase today: "Life may start to feel closer to normal in Illinois beginning Friday, as more people are allowed into stadiums, amusement parks, restaurants and shops, and masks are expected to soon become optional in most situations for people who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus," by Tribune's Dan Petrella, Gregory Pratt and Jenny Whidden. — Biden unmasks — and marks a political milestone: "The new CDC guidelines on face masks reshape the political dimensions of the Covid debate facing the White House," by POLITICO's Natasha Korecki and Christopher Cadelago. | | CHICAGO | | — Poll finds more than half of Chicagoans surveyed approve of Lightfoot's job performance: "A poll conducted on behalf of a company that runs a controversial North Side ghost kitchen site found a majority of Chicagoans surveyed approve of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's job performance. It sought to figure out where voting-age Chicagoans stand on Ald. Matt Martin's handling of a dispute over the CloudKitchens location that opened in the North Center neighborhood. The poll, which had a margin of error of 4.8 percent, also asked respondents how they rate Lightfoot's overall performance, with 53 percent saying they either strongly approved or somewhat approved of the job she's doing," by Tribune's John Byrne. — Mayoral ally demands an end to block party blockade: "Ald. Tom Tunney wants to know why there have been no health guidelines released, no applications processed and no block party permits issued with just over two weeks to go before Memorial Day," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — Downtown firms welcome workers back — carefully: "With offices designed for more space and infection control, employers are looking at flexible schedules in the weeks ahead," by Sun-Times' David Roeder. — They're flocking to restaurants, bars, but shortages of workers and meal ingredients are creating new struggles: "While many of the massive challenges of a year ago have been resolved — from understanding how to operate safely to securing hand sanitizer — a litany of unforeseen challenges has emerged in recent months that affects white-tablecloth destinations and charming neighborhood joints alike," writes Tribune's Josh Noel. — Column: New program invites kids to make pandemic time capsules to be 'buried' for 5 years at iconic Chicago spots, by Tribune's Heidi Stevens. — Massive life sciences building planned for Fulton Market: "The 500,000-square-foot project stands to add to an emerging cluster of lab buildings in the trendy former meatpacking district," by Crain's Danny Ecker. — After 2-year legal battle over rent, Ald. Ramirez-Rosa pays $60K to Mark Fishman, records show: "The lawsuit between the longtime adversaries stemmed from a years-old rent dispute over the office the alderman once rented from Fishman," reports Block Club's Mina Bloom. — GOOD READ: 'Revolutionary Hillbilly' Hy Thurman on his new memoir: The Tennessee native talks about the founding of the Young Patriots, how he connected with the Black Panthers and the Young Lords, and the legacy of the Rainbow Coalition. By Edward McClelland in Chicago magazine. — Would you buy Leopold and Loeb's fingerprints? A famous murder weapon? Chicago museums sometimes face similar questions, writes Tribune's Christopher Borrelli. — Museum of Science & Industry's Boeing 727 gets a makeover: Don't worry, the the tangerine cloth seats are still there, writes Sun-Times' Stefano Esposito. — Chicago Bears' 2021 schedule is out, and Tribune has its game-by-game predictions. | | | | A message from Illini for Affordable Rx:   | | | | | MEDIA MATTERS | | Lightfoot canceled her Tribune subscription over reporting she didn't like, leaked emails show: "This is the same newspaper who believed four years ago that Gary Johnson (who you ask?) would make a great US president, and whose editorial board constantly chides me about not being nice enough to President Trump," Lightfoot wrote. "Consider the source. I have and that's why I have canceled my digital and print subscriptions to the Trib," she wrote. Block Club's Justin Laurence reports. ...Is dumping a trove of hacked government emails good or bad for democracy? "[When] a circumstance like this occurs, through no fault of journalists, it does provide an opportunity for journalists — acting ethically, and carefully — to write stories about newsworthy aspects of our city government," says Joe Mathewson, a practicing attorney and journalism professor at Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. Others predict hacks like these, and the stories they result in, could have a lasting impact on the way public officials communicate, for better or worse, reports WBEZ's Mariah Woelfel. | | THE STATEWIDES | | EZIKE TESTIFIES in that state VA misled Pritzker officials about Covid protocols in deadly LaSalle outbreak: "We believed the home was following all the recommended protocols and that the appropriate steps were being taken to address the cases," Illinois public health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said during an Illinois House hearing over a scathing inspector general's report on the outbreak. Tribune's Rick Pearson reports. | | LEGISLATIVE UPDATE | | — Civic Federation hits Pritzker's corporate loophole closings: "Now is not the time to hike taxes on Illinois businesses, just as the economy begins to recover from the pandemic, says the watchdog group," by Crain's Greg Hinz. — House Dems discuss budget, proposal to change gun restraining order law: "House Majority Leader Greg Harris says lawmakers are looking at a $1.3 billion hole in the budget right now. That's down significantly since last week. He explained appropriations groups already started to go through each of the over 12,000 spending lines in the budget," by WGEM's Mike Miletich. — Freeport lawmaker sponsors bill to ban vaccine passports: "State Representative Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) sponsored legislation in the Illinois House this week to ban vaccine passports. "To envision a society where we restrict the rights of some by the nature of medical treatments they have received or not received is not only discriminatory, but dystopian,'" via WIFR. — Reps negotiating lower fee for trailer licenses: "State lawmakers want to bring that $118 fee back down to $18. However, House Democratic leaders say they must have a revenue solution ready before that can happen," by WGEM's Mike Miletich. | | TRAINS, PLANES AND AUTOMOBILES | | Pair of CTA stations to close through 2024 as new phase of Red-Purple Line project kicks off: "The Lawrence and Berwyn stations will fully close for the duration of the project, and temporary stations will be in use at Argyle and Bryn Mawr," by WTTW's Patty Wetli. | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Commentary from Toni Preckwinkle: Illinois Legislature has a chance to create green energy jobs where they're needed most: "The Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act represents a step in the right direction for our planet, and could be a corrective to decades of racists wrongs by government," writes the Cook County Board president in the Sun-Times. — Emotional comments on whether to keep using McHenry County jail for people accused of illegal immigration: "Under the arrangement, the federal government has paid the county $117 million since 2003 to hold detainees while they await hearings in immigration court in Chicago. That revenue, which the sheriff's office reported at $10 million in fiscal year 2019, dropped to $7 million in FY 2020, and was less than $1 million in the first quarter this year, as ICE held fewer immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic," by Tribune's Robert McCoppin. — DuPage County to seek proposals for new election equipment: "County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek is preparing to issue a request for proposals for enhanced election equipment and services that use entirely paper ballots, she told the county board's finance committee this week," by Daily Herald's Lauren Rohr. | | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | In a discussion about the Illinois GOP, Barickman says he's considering a run for governor: It started with former Gov. Jim Edgar said Republicans need a moderate to beat Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. "One of the things I found as a downstater running is you can't scare the folks up north," Edgar said. "Now, I could get votes up there and there's some I didn't get. But, for the most part, they weren't scared of me. They didn't think I was going to be evil, so they didn't go out and try to beat me. So, if we have candidates who sound pretty harsh and talk about 'well, let's Chicago out of the state.' that's not going to play well." The Pantagraph's Brenden Moore. | | DAY IN COURT | | — Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson pleads not guilty to federal charges in bank probe: "The alderman spoke only briefly during the 30-minute hearing, answering, "Yes, your honor" when asked if he was prepared to go forward with the arraignment remotely. Meanwhile, Thompson's lawyer, Chris Gair, made several inferences to the weakness of the charges and said he was seeking a speedy trial to clear the alderman's name," by Tribune's Jason Meisner. — Teen charged in Englewood double murder communicated with victims about purchasing car, prosecutors say: " Davion Jones, 18, faces two counts of murder in the July 15 shooting deaths of Charlie Perez, 17, and Enrique Gonzalez Jr., 20," by Sun-Times' Matthew Hendrickson and David Struett. | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Democrats reject GOP's debt limit demands, by POLITICO's Burgess Everett, Caitlin Emma and Jennifer Scholtes. — Labor shortage spurs a rush to get Americans back to work, by POLITICO's Megan Cassella and Rebecca Rainey. — The women who enabled Jeffrey Epstein, by POLITICO's Tara Palmeri. — What it's like talking to Barack Obama about masculinity, by WBEZ's Natalie Moore. — Column: From the Rahmfather to Rahm of Japan? Tribune's John Kass opines. | | TRANSITIONS | | — John Hanlon retiring as executive director of the Illinois Innocence Project: "He helped free 15 innocent people in Illinois from prison. Now he's focused on family," writes State Journal-Register's Steven Spearie. — Samantha Warren is taking over as chief of staff for Rep. Bill Foster's congressional office. She starts Monday. Warren currently is deputy chief of staff and legislative director. A Princeton, Ill., native, Warren has been with Foster's office since 2015. She replaces Scott Shewcraft, who is leaving to become VP of Policy at the Economic Innovation Group, a D.C. think tank. — Bradley Akubuiro has joined Bully Pulpit Interactive as a partner in the Chicago office. Akubuiro previously was chief spokesman and senior director of Global Media Relations at The Boeing Co. during the company's response to Covid-19, the national conversation around race, and the effort to return the previously grounded 737 MAX to commercial service. | | IN MEMORIAM | | Dick Kay, longtime Chicago political reporter for WMAQ-TV, dead at 84: "He worked the NBC station for 38 years. Hired as a writer in 1968, he soon was covering the Democratic National Convention, one of the biggest political stories of the century," by Sun-Times' Maureen O'Donnell. | | TRIVIA | | THURSDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Chicago-Kent law school student Jaylin McClinton for correctly answering that Stephen Douglass served as Illinois secretary of state, associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, and as an Illinois member of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate all before he was 34. TODAY's QUESTION: Who was the first African American from Illinois to chair a standing committee in Congress and what committee was it? Email to skapos@politico.com | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Today: former state Sen. A.J. Wilhelmi, Better Business Bureau CEO Steve Bernas, philanthropist and political donor Susan Crown, movie director-producer George Lucas, and DuPage Convention and Visitors Bureau's Elizabeth Manion. Saturday: Ald. Carrie Austin; Ald. Jeanette Taylor, former Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, Illinois College of Optometry Senior Director Vincent Brandys, state Treasurer Community Affairs Specialist Dan Pogorzelski, Chicago magazine Editor Susanna Homan, and Sun-Times' D.C. bureau chief and columnist Lynn Sweet. Sunday: House Speaker Assistant Council James Hartmann, former state Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, and political activist Minyon Moore. -30-
| | | | A message from Illini for Affordable Rx: Illinois patients' health care should not be decided by special interest groups seeking higher profits. SB 2008 is a special interest bill, backed by the powerful independent pharmacy lobby, that will increase prescription drug costs by over $1 billion for Illinois employers and patients.
Independent pharmacies are actually growing in number throughout the country. Illinois lawmakers should avoid padding independent pharmacy profits based on a misperception about pharmacy closures, especially when it means patients and employers have to pay more for health care.
It's time to stand up to the independent pharmacy lobby – say no to SB 2008, say no to higher Rx costs.
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