BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: A four-hour House Democratic Caucus meeting in Springfield was so contentious that a member of Gov. JB Pritzker’s team left in tears and the hemp legislation that was at the center of the debate is now on hold.
Gov. JB Pritzker isn’t pleased — in part because the bill that he says will keep kids safe has flopped, but also because Democrats in their behind-closed-doors meeting were “disrespectful” to the state agency officials who attended the meeting, according to two people familiar with the discussion.
At issue: The bill that had already passed the Senate would, among other things, bar the sale of hemp products that are manufactured by converting naturally derived CBD into other compounds like Delta-8 THC. It's a divisive issue within the caucus.
“Gov. Pritzker is disappointed that lawmakers failed to take bipartisan, common sense action to protect children and the public from unregulated and untested hemp products,” the governor’s office said in a written statement. “The governor is never beholden to special interests and will always put people, especially children, over politics and profits.”
That last line might be a dig at House lawmakers who have taken donations from Charles Wu, the head of the Illinois Hemp Business Association that has opposed the measure.
How it started: During Monday’s caucus meeting, two members from state agencies defended the bill and took questions. Their appearance in the meeting was unusual given the caucus usually conducts business behind closed doors.
The guests weren’t prepared for the grilling, according to one legislator. The governor’s team felt they were “berated.” But two others called it a “robust" and "raucous" debate.
“There were robust, substantive conversations about the practical implications of the bill and the implications of not passing the bill,” said House Assistant Majority Leader Kam Buckner, who carried the legislation.
Counting votes: Leading up to the caucus meeting, Pritzker’s team thought it had the 60 votes that House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch requires before he sends a bill to the floor.
But the hemp bill didn’t get to 60. One person familiar with the debate says a few legislators told Pritzker they’d vote for the measure but then pulled back when they were in the caucus meeting. Pritzker had been lobbying hard for support — and even held a dinner Sunday with some lawmakers to pitch the legislation.
Now the bill is dead for this lame-duck session that ends today, and up in the air for the new session that starts Wednesday.
Complicating the issue was Mayor Brandon Johnson, who didn’t take a stand on the bill until just a few days ago when his team said it wanted the city to have jurisdiction on hemp so it can benefit from it as a revenue source. That could have happened anyway.
More details from the Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner, Jake Sheridan and Robert McCoppin
ALSO IN SPRINGFIELD
Decatur is in line for a horse racing track under bill in the works: “The proposed development would also include a casino with 900 gaming positions and could potentially include a 60,000-square-foot sports complex, according to officials briefed on the plans,” by Lee Enterprises’ Brenden Moore.
“Karina’s Bill,” which would change the state’s order of protection law and require law enforcement to take away guns in certain domestic violence cases, passed the Senate on Monday and is expected to pass the House today.
THE BUZZ
SCOOP: Filings with the State Board of Elections show Alexi Giannoulias has raised nearly $1 million in the fourth quarter in the last year, a period that’s not usually known for big-money donations.
Making a play: The Illinois secretary of state is one on a long list of Democratic officials and insiders eyeing a run for mayor of Chicago in 2027. They’re feeling bolstered by the upheaval within Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration — from battles with the Chicago Public Schools CEO to infighting over the budget.
What’s the rush: The Chicago mayor’s race is still more than two years away, but Giannoulias appears to be building a war chest that he hopes will scare off competitors. He already has more than $2.5 million in the bank. (We’ll have final numbers next week after the reporting deadline.)
Juggling act: The 2026 statewide midterm election will come right before the 2027 mayoral race, which means Giannoulias can raise money for his statewide raise and use anything left to cover a mayoral run (It’s a matter of changing the committee’s purpose on election documents.).
Sounds familiar: Giannoulias similarly started more than two years ahead of his 2024 race to get a command of the field. It allowed him to muscle his way to a primary victory ahead of Clerk Anna Valencia, who had key endorsements but lacked the reserves.
Fourth quarter donations came from a range of CEOs, lawyers, real estate titans and unions, including Michael Polsky of Invenergy ($6,000) and Tanya Polsky ($6,000), Ted Koenig of Monroe Capital ($6,900), property manager Sal Becovic ($13,700), attorney Robert Clifford and Joan Clifford ($13,800) and restaurateur Richard Melman ($6,900).
If you are Michael Polsky, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@politico.com
WHERE'S JB
At Lifelong Access in Normal at 11 a.m. to celebrate grants strengthening healthcare infrastructure
WHERE's BRANDON
No official public events
Where's Toni
No official public events
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THE STATEWIDES
— Illinois AG starts crackdown on weight-loss drug copycats: “Raoul’s office recently sent cease and desist letters to five unnamed medical spas in the Chicago area that were allegedly producing misleading marketing content for glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, drugs, which treat obesity, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease,” by Crain’s Katherine Davis.
Randy Bukas: “I watched the Sydney, Australia New Year’s fireworks (at 7 a.m. CT) while jogging on a treadmill at the YMCA in Freeport.”
Mark Huddle: “I made etchings and other prints in a studio with a group of artists.”
Chris Kolker: “At the Peach Bowl, which my Sun Devils almost won.”
Ed Mazur: “Recuperating from surgery and watched Navy Pier fireworks from our living room.”
David Ormsby: “On the balcony of our apartment watching fireworks in the town square of the medieval city of Avilés located on Spain’s northern coast.”
Andy Shaw: “Mary and I pushed back our geezer bedtime from 9:30 to 10:01 and sealed it with a Happy New Year kiss.”
John Straus: “Hosted dinner with the same couple for the past 47 years.”
Angela Waller: “An early dinner at Virtue followed by a quiet evening at home with the hubby and, of course, champagne at midnight.”
Next question: What's your vacation destination for 2025? Email skapos@politico.com
— Michael Alvarez has been tapped as managing partner to lead the new Chicago office of Ballard Partners, an international lobbying firm. Alvarez is a long-time, notable lobbyist in Chicago.
— Kellie O'Connell is leaving Nourishing Hope to be CEO of the Illinois region of the American Red Cross. Jennie Hull becomes interim CEO of Nourishing Hope.
— Adam Newman is now chief of staff at the Secure Community Network, a nonprofit that serves as the official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. He was special assistant for legislative and governmental affairs at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
— Jenn Edginton is now director of the Illinois State Museum, a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. She's been interim director since February 2023.
— Janet Lindeman is a partner at Quarles & Brady’s real estate practice group in Chicago. She’s been a self-employed real estate attorney who was VP and assistant general counsel at Ulta.
— Kate Campbell has been promoted to partner in Neal Gerber Eisenberg’s intellectual property group.
EVENTS
— Wednesday: The Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus is holding an inauguration party. Details here
— Thursday: Former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin headlines a discussion on what the new administration means for the financial services industry. Government affairs adviser Ryan Carney is also on the panel. Jump Trading’s Daniel Reiche moderates. Details here
TRIVIA
MONDAY’s ANSWER: D.C. Stephenson was grand dragon of the Indiana Ku Klux Klan when he took a 14-year-old from Indiana to Chicago. She accused him of rape and later died, and Stephenson was charged with her death, precipitating the end of the KKK.
TODAY’s QUESTION: What’s most notable about McKendree University? Email skapos@politico.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Congressman Jonathan Jackson, Ald. Silvana Tabares, North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr., Cook County Circuit Court Judge Rosa Silva, Cicero trustee Blanca Vargas, retired judge and cannabis entrepreneur Shelli Williams-Hayes, Illinois Commerce Commission technical adviser Bryant Hitchings, political consultant Alex Milofsky and businessman and brother to the governor Tony Pritzker.
