| | | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by USA-IT | Good Tuesday morning, Illinois. All eyes are on the New York City' mayor's primary today and whether ranked-voting is the future of elections. |  | TOP TALKER | | Members of the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) gathered last night for their first big fundraiser under the leadership of new party chair, Congresswoman Robin Kelly. The festive event raised funds for federal candidates running in Illinois. There was lots of head-turning with so many big names in attendance (see BUSINESS OF POLITICS below). But the party came as Democrats wring their hands about what the Federal Election Commission will rule on Kelly's ability to raise soft money — or funds for state and local candidates. Because Kelly is federally elected, there's a question about whether the FEC will permit such fundraising. That could become a challenge for legislative candidates who for years relied on the party chair, former House Speaker Michael Madigan, to raise campaign cash. The issue first came up in March during the party chair election to replace Madigan after he stepped down. The AFL-CIO, a major donor to the Democratic Party, was among those especially concerned. After Kelly's victory, DPI sent a letter to the FEC offering three governance proposals that would allow her to work around the soft-money issue. In one proposal, Kelly would be "prevented from exercising oversight or influence over the state account's management or governance." Another scenario would see a special committee or a vice chair assigned to oversee fundraising for the state campaign account. A third proposal would have Kelly recuse herself from matters pertaining to the state account. The Illinois Dems' proposals are at the top of the FEC's agenda for Thursday's meeting. In the meantime, two advisory or draft opinions have emerged. One favors the idea of assigning a special committee to oversee the account. The other says it would be impermissible for Kelly to oversee fundraising under any of the three scenarios. DPI says it will wait for the official response: "These are draft opinions at this point," it said in a statement. "We look forward to moving forward after Thursday's meeting." The FEC ruling could determine whether last night wasn't just Kelly's first big fundraiser — but her last. | | THE BUZZ | | Year-end teacher layoffs aren't a surprise. But after the rough pandemic year experienced by Chicago Public Schools teachers and their 340,000 students, this week's pink slips are especially hard to take. From the Tribune's Karen Ann Cullotta: More than 440 teachers and support staff are being let go even as nearly $2 billion in federal education funds are being awarded to CPS. CPS officials say layoffs are just part of the annual staff adjustment that comes with every transition from one school year to another — and they are lower this year than in previous years. In 2020, for example, 703 employees were let go. And in 2019, there were 718 teacher and support-staff layoffs. Schools spokesman James Gherardi said CPS will be hiring for more than 2,000 open teaching and staff positions for the 2021-22 school year, "which far exceeds the number of teachers and staff impacted," according to the Tribune. Last year, for example, 72 percent of the teachers let go were rehired in full-time CPS positions, and an additional 6 percent of laid off teachers came back as substitutes. That doesn't appease the Chicago Teachers Union, which criticized Mayor Lori Lightfoot for declaring racism to be a public health crisis last week and then laying off teachers in disadvantaged communities the next. "The mayor continues to be a walking contradiction through her actions, and a classic example of how symbolic gestures ring hollow," CTU President Jesse Sharkey said Monday in a statement. The layoff news comes on the heels of disturbing new research: In Chicago's poorest high schools, 20% of grades were F's: "A WBEZ analysis shows that Fs spiked and attendance plummeted primarily at high schools serving mostly low-income students," reports WBEZ's Sarah Karp. Today is the last day of class for CPS students: "For some, it closes the door on 10 straight months of remote classes, replete with all the technological growing pains of pivoting to online learning. Other families chose to send their children back to CPS buildings in some capacity beginning in January, but that hardly compared to a normal experience," by Tribune's Elyssa Cherney and Hannah Leone. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: skapos@politico.com | | | | A message from USA-IT: As a major shipping hub, Illinois is exploited by international cartels, who transport and distribute drugs across its borders, making life harder and more dangerous for Illinois residents. To fight back, law enforcement follows a multipronged strategy of hitting traffickers where it hurts: their wallets. That's why our partners are proud to bring their expertise in combating illegal trade to the fight against corruption and violence in Illinois. Learn more. | | |
| | WHERE'S LORI | | At South Loop Elementary School at 11:30 a.m. for the last day of school. | | WHERE'S J.B. | | The governor is out of town and has no official public events. | | Where's Toni | | In the County Building at 10 a.m. presiding over a meeting of the Cook County Forest Preserves District. | | CORONAVIRUS UPDATES | | — According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the preliminary seven-day statewide positivity rate Monday was 0.6 percent. Chicago's positivity rate also was at 0.6 percent. — EMHOFF ON THE VAX-SCENE: The second gentleman is making a stop in the Second City. Douglas Emhoff is scheduled to be in Chicago on Wednesday to visit a vaccine site "and encourage everyone in the community to get vaccinated," according to the White House. Emhoff's trip is a part of the Biden administration's nationwide tour to reach millions of Americans who still need protection against Covid-19. Along with highlighting the ease of getting the shot(s), the visit is designed to help boost grassroots education and outreach on the vaccine. — Vets, spouses to be added to the vax lottery: The lottery is meant to be an incentive to boost vaccine uptake after demand waned. But it excluded those who received vaccines at federal facilities like prisons or VA hospitals. "Veterans — including state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) — raised the issue with Pritzker's office." And the VA and governor's office promise a fix that will include veterans, reports NPR's Hannah Meisel. | | | | DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-23. | | | | |
| | TRANSITIONS | | | 
Former Rep. John Shimkus, speaking on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2013, is heading to K Street to work as a lobbyist. He retired earlier this year from Congress. | AP file photo | A LITTLE CAREER CHANGE: Former Republican Congressman John Shimkus, who retired earlier this year after more than two decades in the House, has joined KBS Group, a lobbying firm founded by former Sen. Kit Bond, as a principal, POLITICO Influence reports. Shimkus will join some familiar faces from the Hill now on K Street, including former Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who chairs KBS (formerly known as Kit Bond Strategies), and Republican Greg Walden, who founded the consultancy Alpine Advisors. Shimkus was a senior member of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. Walden served as chair. | | BUSINESS OF POLITICS | | — Spotted at the Democratic Party of Illinois's fundraiser last night at Joy District in River North: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Reps. Chuy Garcia and Danny Davis, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, state Treasurer Michael Frerichs, state Reps. Bob Morgan and Ann Williams. Also in attendance were Cook County Clerk of the Court Iris Martinez, Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, Board of Review/State Central Committee Member Mike Cabonargi, State Central Committee member and Ald. Silvana Tabares, IDCCA President and State Central Committee member Kristina Zahorik, and state Central Committee members Lauren Beth Gash, Carol Ronen, and Bill Houlihan. — The Illinois Republican Party feted RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel at the venerable Sangamo Club in Springfield on Monday for a fundraiser with Reps. Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood. The big applause of the event came when McDaniel took a "Fire Pritzker" bumper sticker and told a staffer to make sure to get one for her office. Also spotted: Republican gubernatorial candidate Gary Rabine, Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, and state Reps. Mike Murphy and Dan Caulkins. — Rauner agrees to settle robocall lawsuit for $1M: "People targeted by a campaign robocall from former Gov. Bruce Rauner since his first campaign in 2014 will be eligible to earn a portion of a $1 million settlement agreement that was reached last month in a class-action case," by Capitol News' Sarah Mansur. — JUICE: Republican Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (47th) has donated $150,000 to her campaign fund, according to the State Board of Elections. That doesn't exceed the contribution caps since those limits don't start until 12 months before an election. And since the 2022 primary is June 28, she's all clear with the big gift. — EVENT: On Thursday, sports icon Billie Jean King joins Mayor Lori Lightfoot for a virtual Pride Celebration to benefit Light PAC, the political fundraising organization to re-elect the mayor. Lightfoot, however, still hasn't announced her intentions for the 2023 mayor's race. Cubs co-owner Laura Ricketts is also listed on the high-profile host list. | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | TORNADO COVERAGE: 'Craziest 45 seconds of my life': Tornado tears through western suburbs, critically injuring 1 and damaging over 100 homes: "The tornado also smashed cars, spewed debris and downed power lines throughout cities including Naperville, Woodridge, Darien and Burr Ridge," by Sun-Times' Jermaine Nolen, Madeline Kenney, Cindy Hernandez, and Sam Heller. Winds exceeded 135 mph: "The weather service said it was the first significant tornado to hit the Chicago metropolitan area since 2015, when an EF-3 tornado ravaged Coal City, about 60 miles southwest of the city. On the ground, signs of the tornado's might were everywhere," by Tribune's Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas, John Keilman and Suzanne Baker. VIDEO AND PHOTOS: 'Our neighbor's house is gone': Likely EF-3 tornado rips through Naperville, Woodridge: "It's a miracle that we didn't have any fatalities," firefighter says. Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith and Lauren Rohr report. | | | |   | | |
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — Local UFO buffs await release of Pentagon report into unexplained sightings: "A lot of people understand now that we are not alone in this universe," said Carlos Dominguez, a restaurant manager who runs the UFO Chicago Facebook group and says he has witnessed numerous curious sights, including a strangely bright and fast-traveling light near Midway Airport earlier this month," by Tribune's John Keilman. — Why so much is at stake In Illinois' energy bill: "Stakeholders have an interest in getting this done; there are just varying opinions on how to get there," Rep. Ann Williams tells Margaret Rock in Center for Illinois Politics' report. — Faith-based child welfare controversy may be reignited in Illinois: "A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could reignite a 10-year-old controversy in Illinois over whether faith-based charities can be prohibited from contracting with the state for foster care and adoption services on the grounds that they refuse to work with unmarried or same-sex couples," by Capitol News' Peter Hancock. — Two jobs, no benefits: Can Illinois rescue its early childhood workforce? There's an effort to design "faster, better ways to help experienced child care workers finish bachelor's degrees. A product of the high-speed spring legislative session, that compromise bill — which is now headed to the governor's desk — presses four-year colleges and universities to participate in a wide-ranging consortium with a lofty target: propelling about 20 percent of registered child care professionals who don't have four-year degrees toward them by 2024," by Chalkbeat's Cassie Walker Burke. — Q&A: Sen. Dave Koehler on how he'd serve Bloomington-Normal: "How do we, especially downstate communities, how do we begin, after a pandemic of a year and a half, to revitalize small business and our economy? So I think those are the challenges we have," he tells WGLT's Christine Hatfield. — 5 things to know about how a FOID card bill would change Illinois law, via the Belleville News-Democrat — Illinois Capitol reopens to tours, via WMAY | | CHICAGO | | — CPD must do better job of recruiting, hold more frequent exams to counter tidal wave of retirements, mayor says: "Law enforcement is 'not viewed in the most positive light,' the mayor said. 'It won't change, and it won't get better if we don't have diverse people in our neighborhoods who look like the people in the neighborhoods they are sworn to serve and protect,'" by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman. — Council to consider $1.8M settlement for paramedics' sexual harassment, retaliation claims: "First Assistant Corporation Counsel Renai Rodney told members of the City Council's Finance Committee that the city could lose if the lawsuit went to trial and be forced to pay massive judgements to each woman. A similar suit in Country Club Hills brought an $11 million verdict, Rodney said," by WTTW's Heather Cherone. — Not an emergency? Don't call cops, CPS tells administrators in new policy: "Advocates for police-free schools have called for de-escalation and restorative justice in place of policing and punitive punishment that leads students into the school-to-prison pipeline," by Tribune's Nader Issa. — Mayor says police know who fatally stabbed Maryland grad student in the Loop and are 'scouring' nearby homeless camps: "Anat Kimchi, 31, was working on her doctoral degree in criminology and criminal justice," by Sun-Times' Fran Spielman and David Struett. — In a separate case, Lightfoot calls videotaped killing 'horrific' as police search for suspects: "A double shooting caught on video Saturday night that left one person dead near the site of the Puerto Rican Day parade began with a 'very minor' traffic crash before escalating into violence, a top Chicago police official said Monday," by Tribune's Jeremy Gorner and Gregory Pratt. — Officer who owns Englewood house where 5 were killed is disciplined: "Police said Monday that the investigation was continuing but that no arrests have been made," via NBC/5. — O'Hare's newest runway hasn't significantly changed traffic patterns — or quieted jet noise for many residents: Arrival and departure data from Chicago's Aviation Department bear show that "older runways on the southern half of O'Hare have continued to be the site of most takeoffs and landings in recent months, leaving noise patterns in surrounding communities largely unchanged," reports Tribune's John Byrne. — Aon founder Pat Ryan to run a public company again, by Crain's Steve Daniels. — The Palmer House reopened, according to HospitalityNet. | | | | 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. | | | | |
| | DAY IN COURT | | — 'Fast Eddie' Vrdolyak gets 18 months in prison in tax case related to tobacco settlement: The sentence marks the second time in the past decade that former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak, a onetime political powerhouse, has been ordered to federal prison, reports Tribune's Jason Meisner. — Ex-Cubs star Ben Zobrist claims wife Julianna had affair with their pastor, lawsuit says: "Now retired after a 13-year major-league baseball career, Zobrist is seeking $6 million in damages from Byron Yawn, the CEO of Forrest Crain & Co., a Nashville-area business-consulting firm. Yawn also is a former pastor and elder at Community Bible Church in Nashville," reports the Peoria Journal Star's Nick Vlahos. Court docs included | | HIGHER-ED | | — U. of I. to require vaccinations for all students returning to its 3 campuses this fall: "Most prominent private Chicago universities have already announced their students must get shots before returning in the fall," by Sun-Times' Nader Issa. — Kennedy-King College launches new tech program: "While opportunities in tech are lucrative, women, African-Americans, Latinx and other underserved populations are grossly underrepresented within the IT sector," Kennedy-King President Gregory Thomas said Monday in announcing the creation of Tech Launchpad. Sun-Times' Cheyanne M. Daniels reports. — Illinois looks to make higher-ed funding more equitable: "A recently passed bill looks to completely change how higher education is funded, just like what lawmakers did with K-12 schools four years ago. Kyle Westbrook, executive director of the Partnership for College Completion, says this new equity-focused mindset is long overdue," via Northern Public Radio. | | POT-POURRI | | Could downtown Chicago become a 'pot paradise' after all? "An ordinance filed Monday would allow new cannabis dispensaries to move into the downtown 'exclusion zone' Mayor Lightfoot fought for and has continued to defend," by Sun-Times' Tom Schuba. | | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — PRIMARY ELECTION DAY IN NYC: Echoes of 2020 in mayor's race, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin and David Giambusso ... Good read: Bill de Blasio has some regrets, by POLITICO's Ruby Cramer — Senate's bipartisan infrastructure deal nears its big reveal, by POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine — The pandemic changed how we vote. These states are making the changes permanent, by POLITICO's Zach Montellaro | | TRANSITIONS | | Field Foundation's Angelique Power leaving for Detroit's Skillman Foundation: "Power, who has led Field as president since 2016, will step down in July, and the foundation will embark on a nationwide search for its next president, Field's Board of Directors announced Monday," by Sun-Times' Maudlyne Ihejirika. | | TRIVIA | | MONDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Playbooker Stephen Sadin for being first to correctly answer that Benny Goodman mastered his craft at Jane Addams Hull House. TODAY's QUESTION: Who's the Illinois governor who once paid $132,000 for a lamp? Email to skapos@politico.com | | | | A message from USA-IT: Illinois has made great strides fighting corruption. However, because of its position as a major hub for shipment throughout the Great Lakes and the Midwest, international cartels are both major transporters and distributors of drugs in the state. These groups exploit governments and citizens, manipulate financial systems, spur corruption, and cultivate instability and violence that threatens our communities.
Their profits from illegal trade enable corruption, and often go directly back into the sales and movement of drugs, apparel, counterfeit medicines, wildlife, weapons, and even people, making life harder and more dangerous for Illinois residents. To fight back, law enforcement follows a multipronged strategy of hitting traffickers where it hurts: their wallets.
That's why our partners are proud to bring their expertise in combating illegal trade to the fight against corruption and violence in Illinois. Learn more. | | |
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former state Sen. Chuck Weaver, and restaurateur Michael Kornick. -30-
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