| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Presented by McDonald's | Happy leap day, Illinois. President Biden and former President Donald Trump will make separate visits to the southern border today, creating a split-screen spectacle ahead of the November election.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | | 
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pumps his fist after speaking at an event last weekend in Maryland. | Alex Brandon/AP | A state judge has ruled that Donald Trump should be kicked off the Illinois ballot because of his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. It’s the third state to declare the former president ineligible for the presidency. The details: Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter issued the ruling Wednesday but added that Trump can stay on the ballot through Friday, giving him time to appeal the order. Early voting for the March 19 primary has already begun, so that means a vote for Trump still counts. The appeal is in the works: Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement attacking the judge. “This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal,” he said. “In the meantime, President Trump remains on the Illinois ballot, is dominating the polls and will Make America Great Again!” Porter’s decision may not stand for long. The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this month on a Colorado ruling that deemed Trump ineligible, and justices across the ideological spectrum seemed skeptical that states have the authority to disqualify presidential candidates under the so-called insurrection clause. The Supreme Court, however, has not yet issued its decision. Savoring the win for now: “This is a historic victory,” said Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech for the People, which brought the case. Illinois election attorney Michael Dorf called Wednesday’s ruling “as well-crafted a decision as I've ever seen” for carefully laying out the case over 30 pages and offering all the background and laws she used to make her decision. “She went well beyond what she needed to do” because the appellate court doesn’t look at the circuit court’s decision exactly but what the Illinois State Board of Elections decided. The clock is ticking: With the primary just 19 days away, Dorf expects the appellate court will act quickly — maybe even allowing arguments to be cone by memorandum instead of briefs — because it’s expected the case will go to the Illinois Supreme Court and, ultimately, be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. HOME PAGE STORY HERE by POLITICO’s Zach Montellaro and your Playbook host
| | THE BUZZ | | | | 
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, right, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, both taking part in a 2022 news conference in Highland Park, are speaking out now on IVF. | Nam Y. Huh/AP | VF BATTLEFRONT: Gov. JB Pritzker and Sen. Tammy Duckworth jumped into the debate about in-vitro fertilization Wednesday, following the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are legally considered children. IN D.C.: Duckworth’s bill, which would protect access to IVF nationwide, was blocked by Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, sparking a federal clash that’s reverberating across the country. “It's a little personal when a majority male state Supreme Court suggests that people like me who became pregnant with the help of modern medicine should be in jail cells and not nurseries," said Duckworth, the mother of two daughters conceived through IVF. Story by POLITICO’s Alice Miranda Ollstein and Robert King IN CHICAGO: Pritzker called Illinois a safe haven for IVF. “People who live in other states who want to have children using IVF, come to Illinois,” he said during an unrelated news conference. “We’re protecting your rights in so many ways, but specifically regarding IVF.” Think big: Pritzker said his Think Big America nonprofit, which promotes ballot measures that would codify abortion rights, will also address how IVF is handled in other states. Bills in the Illinois General Assembly: State Sen. Natalie Toro has legislation that would require insurers to cover expenses for standard fertility preservation and follow-up services for any patient. State Sen. Cristina Castro’s bill would broaden some of the services for IVF that are already law. And state Sen. Michael Hastings proposes that insurance firms cover fertility treatments recommended by a doctor. Details from the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles, RELATED: How the IVF fight splits Republicans and anti-abortion activists, by POLITICO’s Megan Messerly If you are Steven Cheung, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email skapos@politico.com
| | | | A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $3.2 billion to Illinois’s economy, supporting over 50,000 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout Illinois generated nearly $700 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Illinois and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/il. | | | | | WHERE'S JB | | At Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law to give remarks at Legal Services Corp.’s “Take a Leap for Justice” symposium.
| | | WHERE's BRANDON | | At Willis Tower at 8:50 a.m. for the Chicago Loop Alliance annual meeting.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Cook County Building at 10 a.m. to preside over the Cook County Board meeting. Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | CONVENTION ZONE | | — Perks for big Biden campaign donors include coveted credentials, hotels: “Big donors “can vault into the elite ranks” by direct giving or raising political cash, by the Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.
| | | 2024 WATCH | | | — Head-turner endorsements: The Chicago Tribune is endorsing retired Chicago Police Sgt. Vidal Vásquez over incumbent state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid in the 21st District’s Democratic primary. Rashid is Illinois’ first Palestinian American state legislator and has spoken out on the Middle East war. “But Springfield is not where decisions on U.S. foreign policy are made,” writes the Tribune in endorsing his opponent. The Tribune also endorsed in six other state races. Here’s the full report. — BATTLE LINES: Chicago Forward, headed by Resolute Public Affairs founder Greg Goldner, just plunked $300,000 into the Keep Chicago Affordable campaign, which is opposing the Bring Chicago Home (real estate transfer tax) referendum. Chicago Forward is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that allows donors to shield their identity while contributing to opposition campaigns. Bring Chicago Home is being challenged in court. — Justice Joy Cunningham’s campaign for the Illinois Supreme Court has been endorsed by some of the trade unions. The list is here. — Personal PAC’s Sarah Garza Resnick headlined Wednesday night’s fundraiser at the Hubbard Inn in Chicago for Maria Peterson, Democratic candidate for 52nd House District. Spotted: state Reps. Kam Buckner, Lindsay LaPointe, Tracy Katz Muhl and Eileen Dordeck.
| | CORRUPTION CHRONICLES | | — Tim Mapes’ pension will be suspended: The aide to former House Speaker Michael Madigan was convicted of lying to a federal grand jury as part of an effort to thwart the feds’ probe into his former boss, by WBEZ’s Dave McKinney
| | | | A message from McDonald's:   | | | | | THE STATEWIDES | | — MIGRANT MOVES: Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday he still expects the city of Chicago and Cook County to come up with funding to help manage the migrant crisis. “We have an agreement plan between the city, county and state governments about how to manage the crisis that’s before us” to make sure asylum seekers have at least “the bare minimum” of support. “Each of us has to go to our various legislative bodies to get the support to do that,” Pritzker said. Divvying it up: Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Mayor Brandon Johnson agreed after a meeting earlier this month that they would split the necessary funding to help asylum seekers for the years. The state would pay $180 million and the county and city would each pay $70 million. But when the announcement came out, the city backed out. — LIGHTS, CAMERA, FUNDING: Gov. JB Pritzker announced $10 million in grant funding for local film studio infrastructure projects through the Illinois Soundstage Program. The governor made the announcement at the Fields Studios on Pulaski Road in Chicago.
| | | CHICAGO | | | — At least 11 tornadoes touched down in the Chicago area, by the Tribune — Antisemitic posters linked to white supremacist group, found in Bucktown, by the Sun-Times’ Phyllis Cha
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — It's getting harder for towns to ignore their lack of affordable housing, by Crain’s Dennis Rodkin
| | SPOTTED | | — MENDOZA’s MOVE: Businesswoman Trisha Rooney hosted a fundraising event at her home on Wednesday for state Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who spoke to guests at length about how she got to her current office — via the General Assembly to City Hall clerk and to her current statewide job. Mendoza isn’t running for anything this year, but like other state office holders, she’s building her campaign chest in anticipation of a future contest. By the numbers: Mendoza is able to explain the state budget in simple terms, and the 40 or so guests held on to every word — including the details of her goal of prepaying state pensions. “Putting money in early” when there are months that the state is ahead on revenue allows for pension stability, she said. Legislation is in the works. As for what’s next in her career, Mendoza said she’s not sure. “I love a good challenge. So right now I'm figuring out what that is.” SPOTTED: Rep. Kam Buckner, Ald. Matt O’Shea, former Ald. Michele Smith, content strategists Estelle Walgreen, Willkie Farr & Gallagher Midwest Chair Craig Martin, Ardmore Associates engineering CEO Cherryl Thomas, PAWS Chicago CEO Susanna Wickham and WINGS Program CEO Rebecca Darr.
| | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | | | Reader Digest | | We asked about your wildest weather experience: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy: “The Rogers Park tornado of 2020. It went straight down the middle of our street like it was following MapQuest directions to our house from O’Hare. We lost nearly every tree between here and the lake, it hopped over the El tracks and continued out into the lake. Thankfully nobody was injured.” Tavares Briggs and Bill Velazquez: “Snowmageddon of 2021” when 21 inches of snow fell in a day. Rosemary Caruk: “A medicane on the island of Crete.” Kristin DiCenso: “March 12, 2006, when the tornado hit Springfield. The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade had to be postponed because there were still so many without power.” Ed Epstein: “When I lived in Hong Kong in the 1970s, a typhoon blew through, made a u-turn in the South China Sea and slammed into us again.” Graham Grady: “A lightning storm along the Mississippi River while camping in a tent that was supported by metal poles!” Lucas Hawley: “A New England Nor'Easter in late October in Boston.” Dan Mattoon: “A damaging derecho storm in northern Virginia 10 years ago.” Mark McCombs: “The blizzard of 1967. I was a kid playing outside in the nearly 70 degree weather a couple of days before.” Marilynn Miller: "A snowstorm in June when we lived in Elk Grove Village. Dad plowed it into a huge pile and we went down in our sled." Josh Mogerman: “When a massive ice storm brought Springfield to its knees in 1978.” Brian Munoz: “The December 2021 tornado that blew through the Midwest and South, killing six in Edwardsville and completely flattened the town of Mayfield, Ky.” Ray Sendejas: “A hailstorm while driving on I-55 outside Bloomington. The hailstones were so big they dented my car. I had to pull over under a bridge until the storm subsided.” NEXT QUESTION: When it comes to choosing a candidate, are you more influenced by their TV ads or direct mail?
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — The insider’s guide to the McConnell succession race, via POLITICO — Biden’s physical finds him ‘healthy, active, robust,’ says White House doctor, by POLITICO’s Eli Stokols — How the Supreme Court just threw Trump’s 2024 trial schedule into turmoil, by POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein
| | | | A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Illinois, contributing over $3.2 billion to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 38,900 Illinoisans and supporting an additional 12,800 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Illinois began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to call Chicago and Illinois our home, supporting public schools, parks and more through the nearly $700 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $2.3 million raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 23,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Illinois. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Illinois and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/il. | | | | | TRANSITIONS | | — Matt Fried will be chief of staff to New York Congressman Tom Suozzi. He was deputy chief of staff for Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10). — Eric Posner is now counsel at MoloLamken’s Chicago office. Posner returns to MoloLamken after serving as counsel to the U.S. assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
| | | IN MEMORIAM | | | — McCanna Anthony “Mac” Sinise, the son of actor and musician Gary Sinise, has died. He was 33, via the Gary Sinise Foundation.
| | TRIVIA | | WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Jarod Hitchings for correctly answering that Fido was the name of Abraham Lincoln’s dog in Springfield. TODAY's QUESTION: Who was the Illinois native who went on to lead a major labor union and had a falling out with Mother Jones? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | State Sen. Jil Tracy and Jenner & Block partner and World Business Chicago board member Wade Thomson. And belated greetings to state Rep. Mary Beth Canty, who celebrated Wednesday. -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 | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment