| | | | |  | | By Shia Kapos | Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. It's Inauguration Day at the state Capitol.
|  | TOP TALKER | | SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State senators will take the oath today in their newly renovated Capitol chambers, while House lawmakers will be sworn in at the University of Illinois Springfield. Already working: The state lawmakers have been in town since the weekend trying to pass bills during their lame-duck session, which ended last night. They succeeded in getting a few important measures over the line (see below), but some Democratic infighting overshadowed the votes. To be blunt: Gov. JB Pritzker was unusually forthcoming at a Normal, Ill., press conference Tuesday about his thoughts on Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. We asked the governor how often he and Johnson talk. Is it a meeting or by phone? “He doesn’t call very often. Maybe in the time that he's been mayor, he's called me perhaps five times,” Pritzker said, adding Johnson didn’t call about the city’s budget negotiations (even though the mayor was vocal about Springfield needing to help out). Pritzker said the mayor didn’t call about the hemp legislation, either. Johnson worked to tank the measure, which Pritzker supported. “They don't reach out, and it seems like they don't have good relationships in Springfield,” Pritzker said. His remarks are here. The governor’s comments reveal what we've known for more than a year: that there's tension between Pritzker and Johnson. Pritzker's comments are opposite of what Johnson told WTTW this week — that the city “is in constant conversations with the state of Illinois, with the governor’s team, with the leadership in Springfield.” Johnson then side-stepped when asked about the disconnect, instead attributing the disagreement to little more than a family squabble. "Sometimes within family, we come to slightly different conclusions, but we’re all moving toward the same goal, which is to keep people safe," he told Fox 32’s Paris Schutz. Pritzker’s comments about Welch created buzz, too. The governor said members of the Democratic Caucus were disrespectful to state agency folks who they met with to talk about the hemp bill (We hear there was yelling.). “Politicians can take it, [but] these are professionals. We want them to stay in state government. To have them treated poorly by elected officials is, frankly, unacceptable. And I told that to the speaker,” Pritzker said. Welch responds: “The speaker expects members of the House to conduct themselves with proper decorum and respect, especially on contentious topics amidst tight deadlines,” a spokesman told Playbook. “Speaker Welch spoke individually with certain members immediately following the discussion yesterday, as well as to the entire Caucus today, reiterating these expectations.” Hat in hand: One legislator “has reached out to offer an apology to the governor’s staff and has also apologized to members of the Democratic Caucus,” according to the spokesman. Why it matters: Lawmakers are heading into what’s expected to be a contentious new legislative session as they try to tackle an expected $3.2 billion budget deficit for 2026. They need all the good communication skills they can get.
| | | THE BUZZ | | | STUNNING MOVE: Ex-Speaker Madigan takes stand in own defense at landmark corruption trial: “Madigan, once the state’s most powerful politician, took the witness stand in his own defense, offering wide-ranging testimony about his strict Irish Catholic upbringing and rise to power in Springfield as well as repeated and emphatic denials that he ever betrayed his elected position,” by the Tribune’s Jason Meisner, Megan Crepeau and Ray Long. From his testimony: “Did you ever trade your public office for private gain?” Madigan’s lawyer, Dan Collins, asked just minutes into his testimony. Madigan turned his face toward the jury box and answered, “No.” “Did you ever demand a thing of value in exchange for a promise to take official action?” Collins asked. “Did you ever accept a thing of value in exchange for a promise to take official action?” To both, Madigan answered no. — Madigan tells of father's alcoholism, Lisa’s pain from her biological father — and a 'toxic’ political relationship, by the Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles and Jon Seidel If you are Mike Madigan, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
| | WHERE'S JB | | At the Senate Chamber in the State Capitol at noon to preside over the Illinois State Senate inauguration
| | WHERE's BRANDON | | | At 200 East 115th Street at 11 a.m. for the Roseland Mental Health Clinic ribbon cutting and CARE announcement — At Austin Town Hall at 3:30 p.m. for the Department of Housing and Urban Development announcement on disaster aid
| | Where's Toni | | At the University of Illinois Springfield at noon for the inauguration of the 104th Illinois General Assembly Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a complaint? Email skapos@politico.com
| | LEGISLATIVE UPDATE | | — State lawmakers send Karina's Bill to Gov. Pritzker's desk to address domestic violence: “Karina’s Bill passed the Illinois House by a vote of 80-33. It would require police to confiscate guns within 96 hours from people whose FOID cards have been revoked due to emergency restraining orders,” by the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout and Sophie Sherry. — Shabbona Lake State Park is being transferred to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation: There was lengthy debate about the measure that was cosponsored by Democratic state Rep. Will Guzzardi of Chicago. Republican state Rep. Bradley Fritts, who represents the district where the park is located, took issue with not being included in the bill’s planning. More from NBC 5 — A nursing home retaliation bill and an energy bill pass, too, by the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout and George Wiebe
| | CHICAGO | | — Chicago ‘should explore’ congestion tax to reduce traffic, mayor says: “Mayor Brandon Johnson also defended the 2025 budget process and reiterated his support for Chicago’s sanctuary city status,” via interview with the Block Club’s Quinn Myers — Johnson remains adamant his vision for CPS will be supported by district parents, by Crain’s Justin Laurence — Widespread lies about family income could affect funding, fees at some CPS schools, watchdog finds: “Some affluent families driving expensive Mercedes-Benz cars were found trying to receive low-income designations to gain fee waivers, according to a report released Wednesday by CPS’ interim inspector general’s office,” by the Sun-Times’ Nader Issa. — Ald. Raymond Lopez wants stricter regulations on backyard chickens, but coop owners push back: “As concerns over avian influenza have grown after a Louisiana man died from it earlier this week, there have been calls to ban or restrict owning farm animals in the city,” by Bob Chiarito for the Sun-Times.
| | | COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS | | | — Dolton meeting goes on despite move by Mayor Tiffany Henyard to cancel, citing safety threats, by the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan and Olivia Stevens — Chicago Boat Show sails into Rosemont after 93 years in city, by the Daily Herald’s Christopher Placek — In his reelection bid, Biss says housing, growth are key issues, by Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie
| | TAKING NAMES | | — Dave Joens, director of the Illinois State Archives, is retiring after 20 years there and 35 in state government. On Tuesday, the General Assembly approved a resolution congratulating Joens, who played a key role in determining state document retention requirements and the digitization of documents. He gave me a tour of the archives a few years back. — Robin Robinson, the TV broadcaster who later led a restorative justice program at the Chicago Police Department, is back with a show called “In Other News” that will air Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on CAN TV cable channel 19. Her first guest Thursday: former Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.
| | Reader Digest | | We asked about your 2025 travel plans. Janice Anderson: “A river cruise from Budapest to Munich.” Randy Bukas: “The annual Tour de Stooges bike ride in May.” William Bauer: “My fiancée and I are getting married in August and looking at traveling to Austria, Slovenia or Switzerland.” Hilary Denk: “The plan is Ireland and France for our 30th wedding anniversary!” Jim LaCognata: “Mediterranean cruise: Malta, Sicily, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Gibraltar, Valencia and Barcelona.” Mike Gascoigne: “Chicago to see ‘Fat Ham’ at the Goodman.” Daniel Goldwin: “Florence, Italy to visit my daughter during her semester abroad.” Jarod Hitchings: “Disney World with the entire extended family.” John Lopez: “South Florida later this month to celebrate a milestone birthday.” Marilynn Miller: “As I have for years, over Labor Day, I’ll go to Alma Center, Wis., (pop. 450) for my all-year high school class reunion. This year will be the 73rd.” Joan Pederson: “A road trip to the Olympic Peninsula, with lots of stops to see family and friends on the way out via California and back via Minnesota.” Alison Pure-Slovin: “Argentina, where I’ll tour the country and meet in person my colleague in Bueno Aires, where the Simon Wiesenthal Center has an office. Andy Shaw: “The amenity-rich El Parque enclave in San Antonio Tlayacapan, an ex-pat town along Lake Chapala, south of Guadalajara, Mexico.” Judith Weinstein: “Japan with my entire family, but this sobering op-ed has made me rethink my own carbon footprint.” Next question: What country would you want to see annexed into the United States? Email skapos@politico.com
| | THE NATIONAL TAKE | | — Thousands flee as wildfires burn out of control in and around Los Angeles and homes are destroyed, by The Associated Press — Trudeau to Trump on annexation plans: ‘Not a snowball’s chance in hell,’ by POLITICO’s Mike Blanchfield — Democrats make a right turn on immigration, by POLITICO’s Daniella Diaz, Nicholas Wu and Myah Ward — Trump trades isolationism for expansionism — possibly with military force, by POLITICO’s Megan Messerly and Lisa Kashinsky
| | TRANSITIONS | | — John Donovan is now a government policy adviser and counsel at the Chicago office of Dykema, a national law firm. Donovan was special counsel for legislative affairs to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. — Brett Garson is now CEO of the lobbying firm Smith Garson following the firm’s name change from Smith Dawson & Andrews. Jim Smith becomes board chair. — Latasha Thomas has been promoted to member (partner) at Clark Hill. Thomas is a former Chicago alderman who has served as senior counsel at the firm since 2018. — Chad Jennings is now a partner in Hinshaw & Culbertson defense litigation group. He has been a senior attorney at the W.R. Berkley Insurance Company/Midwest Employers Casualty Company — and previously worked at Hinshaw. — Miguel Blancarte Jr. has been promoted to senior director of government affairs and adviser to the CEO at Metropolitan Family Services. — Anusha Thotakura has been named executive director of Citizen Action/Illinois, a progressive coalition. She’s held leadership positions with the group for more than two years.
| | | TRIVIA | | | TUESDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Corrine Williams for correctly answering that McKendree University is the oldest college in Illinois and the oldest affiliation of any college in the country with the United Methodist Church. TODAY’s QUESTION: What Illinoisan was the subject of a statue by Gutzon Borglum, famed sculptor of Mt. Rushmore? Email skapos@politico.com
| | HAPPY BIRTHDAY | | Former state Rep. Kathleen Willis, former Congressman Mel Reynolds, Catholic Charities’ Strategic Initiatives Executive Director Matthew McCabe, business networker George Bliss and marketing exec Trish Kapos. And belated greetings to Michael Moskow, former CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, who celebrated Tuesday. -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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