| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Thursday morning, Illinois. Be sure to check our Reader Digest for the Illinois news moments that should be performed on stage.
|  | TOP TALKER | | | 
Mayor Brandon Johnson, flanked by top aides, told reporters Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, that he would veto the City Council's ordinance on ShotSpotter. | Shia Kapos/POLITICO | GET OUT THE POPCORN: The Chicago City Council delivered on drama Wednesday as members voted 33-14 to take away power from the mayor to control the contract for the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system and give it to the police superintendent. Mayor Brandon Johnson has rejected extending the contract, saying ShotSpotter doesn’t get to the root of the crime problem. He also doesn’t want to go back on a campaign promise to end the contract. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling has been an advocate for ShotSpotter, saying it helps police officers do their jobs. The council’s debate was smart and the speeches were lofty. The drama was edge-of-your-seat as the collective chamber watched to see how the votes would play out. And the political ironies were delicious. The council’s vote was a rebuke of Johnson, who dug in his heels and told reporters after the meeting that his veto was in the works. He called the ordinance “illegal,” and Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said it’s an outright violation for the legislative branch (the council) to try to “compel the executive branch to act.” The irony: Before the vote, the mayor and council members gave extended praise for Snelling and the work he and his officers did last month during the Democratic National Convention. Central to the debate: Aldermen say they're the best advocates for their wards because they talk directly to residents, who say they support keeping ShotSpotter. Another irony: Earlier in the six-hour meeting, a vote came up on an ordinance that gave more power to residents to prevent development in their neighborhoods. Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa argued that he knew what was best for his ward. The comment drew criticism from Ald. Nick Sposato, who called it “hypocritical” given that was the same argument being used by aldermen supporting ShotSpotter. Here’s how they voted. It’s not over: Ald. David Moore, who carried the ShotSpotter ordinance and was among those speaking passionately in support, said he and fellow aldermen would be talking about what’s next. Ald. Bill Conway said it’s possible that the ShotSpotter technology could be written into the upcoming budget. There are whispers about possible legal action. The deadline to take down ShotSpotter is Sunday, though Moore says there’s still time to come to find compromise. “I say let’s work together. Let’s think about the community,” he told Playbook. Johnson said he’d like to open the contract process to other companies. Some aldermen say why not keep ShotSpotter in place until an alternative is found. Looming ahead: Wednesday’s council action is the latest sign of tension between aldermen and the mayor, a notion that Johnson dismissed. It comes as Johnson will need council support to get a budget over the finish line. MORE FROM CITY HALL Ethics ordinance targeting lobbyist donations to mayoral candidates passes in City Council, by the Tribune’s Jake Sheridan Small steps on ethics reform from a reluctant mayor, via the Better Government Association City Council OKs $15M to settle police misconduct cases, confirms Burnett as Zoning Committee chair, by the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman
| | THE BUZZ | | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Illinois Teamsters are breaking with the national chapter and endorsing Kamala Harris for president, according to a statement from the labor organization. The endorsement follows the national Teamsters leadership declining to issue a presidential endorsement. Teamsters Joint Council 25 represents more than 100,000 members across various industries in Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The local decision was made ”swiftly and unanimously," Teamsters Joint Council 25's Pasquale Gianni, said in a statement to Playbook. "The decision was made with confidence that a Harris-Walz administration will govern with the interests of working people at the forefront. We look forward to helping to elect them, and other pro-labor candidates down the ballot, this November," Gianni added. The West Coast Teamsters broke with the national organization, too, by POLITICO's Alex Nieves If you are Mary Richardson-Lowry, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | At the Masonic Event Center in Freeport at 1 p.m. to give remarks at the Illinois Army National Guard 333rd Military Police Company mobilization ceremony.
| | | WHERE's BRANDON | | At 1325 South Washtenaw Avenue. at 10 a.m. for the grand opening of Ogden Commons phase one and groundbreaking for phase two.
| | Where's Toni | | At the Cook County Building at 9:30 a.m. with Commissioner Bill Lowry to introduce his Cook County Birthday Health Screening Program resolution — In the same spot at 10 a.m. to preside over a meeting the Cook County Board meeting Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email: skapos@politico.com
| | CAMPAIGN TRAIL | | — IL-17 race heats up as Joe McGraw debuts first ad in race against Congressman Eric Sorensen: “After two weeks of having the central and northwestern Illinois airwaves to himself, Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Moline, has some competition for his district's eyes and ears. Retired Judge Joe McGraw, Sorensen's Republican challenger in Illinois' 17th Congressional District, launched his first television ad of the general campaign on Wednesday, honing in on the issue of crime while casting himself as the law-and-order candidate in the race,” by Lee Enterprises’ Brenden Moore. — In IL-14: Underwood, Marter have vastly different views on abortion in 14th House District race, by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau
| | THE STATEWIDES | | — COLUMN: It’s time to end the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority: “Annual debt service alone on the combined gross is projected at $60 million in 2025, $79 million in 2030 and $90.5 million in 2032 when a balloon payment is also supposed to drop from some heavenly body to retire all remaining principal. (In the mighty governmental halls of Springfield, that's known as a “scoop and toss.”),” by the Daily Herald’s Jim O'Donnell.
| | SPOTLIGHT | | — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State Sen. Ram Villivalam and state Rep. Kevin Olickal have written a letter to Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez and Deputy Mayor Jen Johnson, requesting a meeting to discuss reports of anti-Semitism in Chicago Public Schools. Where they’re coming from: Villivalam and Olickal represent the North Side neighborhoods that have high Jewish populations. The state lawmakers write: “In recent months, we have heard from several constituents, many of whom have signed a petition that outlines their concerns, with regards to reports of antisemitic incidents in Chicago Public Schools,” according to the letter obtained by Playbook. RELATED: Council member removes 'Mazol Tov' pager photo post after criticism it celebrated deadly attacks in Lebanon, by WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel Tessa Weinberg
| | CHICAGO | | — Chicago Board of Education adopts new 5-year plan prioritizing neighborhood public schools: “The plan, revealed publicly for the first time on Monday and approved by the board Wednesday, does not include CPS policy changes. But it sets out a slew of priorities and goals, including reducing chronic absenteeism, increasing state reading and math scores, and reducing teacher vacancies,” by Chalkbeat’s Reema Amin. — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Alds. Marty Quinn (13th) and Samantha Nugent (39th) have introduced an ordinance to beef up protections for Chicago firefighters battling rooftop blazes or facing potentially dangerous falling hazards like skylights. The ordinance follows the death of firefighter Andrew Price, who last year fell through a light shaft on a roof in a four-story building. — New Bears lakefront stadium would only be a 'playground' for the rich, opponents say, by the Sun-Times’ Mary Norkol — Luis Gutierrez on a new report showing Mexicans are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Chicago, by Chicago magazine’s Ted McClelland — How the offices of Ebony and Jet became the latest Theaster Gates exhibition, by the Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli — Garrett Popcorn is turning 75, by the Sun-Times’ Stefano Esposito
| | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | — Cook County commissioner Bridget Gainer pitches a property tax relief fund for struggling homeowners: “She wants to take $15 million from an estimated $100 million the county expects to get from overdue property taxes to start the fund,” by WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch. — Former DuPage County Board member Greg Hart considers run for Hinsdale Village president, by Patch’s David Giuliani
| | Reader Digest | | We asked what Illinois news moment should be written as a play. Vince Brandys: “Council Wars: Ed Vrdolyak v. Harold Washington.” Bob Kieckhefer: “When John Rendelman discovered $800,000 cash in a shoebox in Secretary of State Paul Powell’s shabby St. Nicholas Hotel room in Springfield in 1970.” Charles Keller: “Council Wars, the musical.” William Kresse: “The Great Chicago Loop Flood of 1992! I would hope they recreate the scene where mattresses were dumped in the river to plug the hole, but as the mattresses were all wrapped in plastic, they just floated down the river. (Though the city denied this happened.)” Bobby Lee: “The Rod Blagojevich house arrest, especially if it was a procedural about how law enforcement was planning to take him in.” Mike Matejka: “The 1886 Haymarket Incident, centering on former Confederate-soldier-turned-anarchist Albert Parsons and his formerly enslaved wife, Lucy: ‘Albert & Lucy: A Radical Love Story.’” Marilynn Miller: “The old Chicago Council Wars. Comedians made much of it back then, but a new comedy based on it would be fun.” Mike Ragen: “The 1975 Illinois House speaker’s race. Minority Leader Clyde Choate was the presumptive speaker as the result of the Democratic Watergate landslide of 1974. Bill Redmond led a small opposition group. Balloting went on for days. Redmond was eventually elected.” Tom Steil: “Blago's hair slowly reverting to gray in prison, while his wife eats bugs on reality TV.” Bob Yadgir: “Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment and Senate trial.” Next question: What song gets you motivated? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Trump’s Electoral Firewall: If he wins Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia, he’ll go back to the White House, by POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin — The Fed’s Powell is cutting interest rates. Here’s how the economy will respond, by POLITICO’s Sam Sutton — Harris, Trump make plays for the Polish American vote. But they’ll be hard-pressed to find a cohesive voting bloc, by POLITICO’s Charlie Mahtesian
| | IN MEMORIAM | | — Village of Steger Mayor Kenneth Peterson Jr. has died. He’s been village president since 2013, by WGN 9’s Gabriel Castillo. — Ted Sanders, a former state board of ed superintendent who worked in the Bush administration, has died. He was 82, by State Journal Register’s Steven Spearie
| | TRANSITIONS | | — Lara Weber is now comms director for States Newsroom, a national nonprofit news organization. Weber is a former Chicago Tribune editor and most recently was VP of global content for Seattle-based WE Communications. — Kasmer Quinn has been named senior manager of external communications for Baxter’s kidney care division, Vantive. She has been a VP at Edelman. — Stephen Weil is senior attorney with Romanucci & Blandin’s civil rights team. He was with Loevy & Loevy.
| | | TRIVIA | | | WEDNESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Matthew Beaudet for correctly answering that Watson the Watchdog was adopted by the Better Government Association in 2014. TODAY’s QUESTION: Who was the Illinois political pundit who explained government policy and budgeting as "Who pays? Who gets"? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | State Sen. Karina Villa, former Congressman Tom Ewing, comms adviser Hannah Goss, 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 | | | | |
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