Gov. J.B. Pritzker is looking to put a big check mark next to his proposal to legalize reefer, one of three new or enhanced revenue streams the first-term Democrat says are needed to mop up the state’s sea of red ink. The Illinois Senate could vote any day now on an overhauled bill to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, which could yield the state millions of dollars from licensing fees. No word on No. 3 — that is, a proposal to legalize sports betting. Lawmakers advanced Pritzker’s proposal to move from a flat income tax to a graduated income tax on Memorial Day, something voters ultimately will decide at the ballot box in 2020.
The countdown clock is ticking loudly with the legislative session scheduled to conclude Friday.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot oversaw her first City Council meeting today, a speedy 90 minutes in which she flexed her muscle by pushing through her reorganization of council, with just enough time for some drama with embattled Ald. Edward Burke, 14th. Lightfoot did her best prosecutor-turned-stern high school teacher while Burke seemed to try undermining her plans.
And even though the state revoked Lincoln Towing’s license, the ensuing litigation means the company is still hauling away illegally parked cars.
Welcome to The Spin.
Ticktock goes the legislative clock
Pritzker was hoping lawmakers would vote before Friday to legalize recreational marijuana use and sports betting, and he’s on deadline to deliver the state’s budget. Here’s what we know right now:
The deal with ganja: A plan to legalize marijuana in Illinois would no longer automatically erase public records of felony cannabis convictions, under changes made by lawmakers in an effort to win approval of the measure. Instead, people with felony cannabis convictions for possession of up to 500 grams of pot — just over a pound — would be able to go to the local Circuit Court to ask that their records be expunged. Prosecutors would be able to challenge that request, with a judge deciding the matter, a sponsor of the law said. As described in an emailed summary, misdemeanors up to 100 grams — just under a quarter-pound — would undergo the same process.
Another change would have Pritzker pardon most misdemeanor convictions for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana, which is about an ounce, and would expunge misdemeanor marijuana arrests, as long as the arrest was not associated with a violent crime. The Illinois attorney general’s office would then go to court to expunge those records.
The changes were made in response to objections by lawmakers against wiping out felony convictions, and to concerns that the state constitution empowers only the governor, not the legislature, to grant pardons.
In addition, a proposal to allow all adults to grow up to five plants each at home was eliminated. Only medical marijuana patients would be allowed to grow up to five plants each. The new bill was expected to go to a hearing before the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday afternoon. (Robert McCoppin)
You may pay more to dine out in trendy Chicago neighborhoods: The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, the agency that oversees McCormick Place and Navy Pier, could expand the boundaries where it levies a 1% restaurant tax under a measure approved by the Illinois Senate today and sent to the House for consideration. The tax is currently collected downtown, but the expanded area, which would include parts of the North, Northwest and South sides, was designed to bring in more money from trendy restaurants in areas such as Wrigleyville, Logan Square and Hyde Park, McPier CEO Lori Healey said. Read Dan Petrella’s story in the Tribune here.
The agency expects to bring in an additional $10 million in annual revenue from the expanded boundaries, she said.
If approved by the House and the governor, the bill would lead to the partial teardown of the above-ground portion of the McCormick Place Lakeside Center and the construction of a new facility over Martin Luther King Drive
Chicago pastors urge slowdown on city casino as legislative session nears end — Read Gregory Pratt and Dan Petrella’s story in the Tribune here.
Lightfoot vs. Burke and other takeaways from new mayor’s first City Council meeting
“Mayor Lori Lightfoot passed an early test of her authority Wednesday, getting the City Council to go along with her roster of aldermen chairing the council committees that will vote on key parts of her agenda,” The Tribune’s John Byrne, Greg Pratt and Juan Perez Jr. report. Read their story in the Tribune here.
It was the first meeting for Lightfoot as mayor along with a new class of City Council members. Here are three take-aways from that meeting:
1. The power of someone who won all 50 wards: Lightfoot’s council reorganization ordinance passed by a voice vote, after weeks of aldermen threatening to mount a more organized opposition. A handful of aldermen said “no” as Lightfoot brought the issue to a vote.
2. How the reorganization of City Council shakes out: Progressive Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, a longtime supporter, now chairs the powerful Finance Committee; Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, takes over the key Budget Committee from the longest-tenured black alderman, Carrie Austin, 34th and Wrigleyville Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, now chairs the powerful Zoning Committee and serves as vice mayor.
Broken down by race, that’s nine African American aldermen, two Latino members and seven whites will chair committees under Lightfoot’s plan. A Latino, Northwest Side Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, will be Lightfoot’s floor leader. White downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, will be the president pro tempore.
3. Lightfoot vs. Burke on full display: Shortly after her April election, Lightfoot complained that Burke, facing a federal charge of attempted extortion in an alleged pay-to-play public corruption scheme, was working to undermine her authority.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Burke complained about the wording in a pro forma rules package that Lightfoot’s team had drawn up. His concern? It used the pronoun “he,” rather than being gender neutral. Lightfoot cut him off, saying if he had no other concerns they would move forward.
As Burke rose with another concern, Lightfoot again cut him off.
“Alderman, please. I will call you when I want to hear from you,” she said.
‘Game of Thrones’ epilogue: After the meeting, Lightfoot responded to reporters questions about the exchange: “Ald. Burke is somebody who likes to test people. He likes to see if there are weaknesses. And he has attempted to do this in the past with me, and he’s failed spectacularly every time. And every time he tries it he will again fail spectacularly. I’m not going to start off my term as mayor with the City Council putting up with somebody who is just playing games for the sport of it. The people in this city expect us to do our jobs. They expect a government to actually work on behalf of the people and not have a Game of Thrones gamesmanship on the floor of the City Council. I’m not having it.”
Latino leadership: Ald. Roberto Maldonado, 26th, will be the new Latino caucus chairman in the City Council. The Latino caucus doesn’t typically vote as a bloc, and it’s been riled by controversy over the past year. Last year, the caucus briefly expelled Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa in a bit of internecine conflict before allowing him to return. And Ald. Raymond Lopez exited the caucus after winning re-election because some of his colleagues supported one of his opponents for re-election. But the chairmanship is a decent consolation prize for Maldonado, who did not receive any committee chairmanships under Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed committee structure despite being on the City Council since 2011.
Outgoing chairman Gil Villegas also backed challenger Jessica Gutierrez in the Northwest Side 30th Ward over incumbent Ald. Ariel Reboyras, as did Ald. George Cardenas. (Gregory Pratt)
African-American leadership: The City Council Black Caucus elected West Side Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, as its chairman Wednesday. Ervin, who succeeds South Side Ald. Roderick Sawyer, was elected to the City Council in 2011. His wife, Melissa Conyears-Ervin, was just elected city treasurer.
Ervin takes over as the 20-member caucus gears up to try to hold on to as many seats as possible in the remap after the 2020 U.S. Census, in spite of the fact Chicago’s African-American population has plummeted in recent years. (John Byrne)
Refresher course: Powers of the mayor, City Council
While political observers saw Lightfoot’s first meeting as an initial test of muscle, it’s important to note that the city charter dictates a strong City Council/weak mayor system.
The City Council has three legal functions that in theory put the body in charge: It approves all ordinances or laws, OKs the budget and signs off on most key appointments, ranging from council committee chairs to the superintendent of police, said Dick Simpson, a onetime Chicago alderman and political science professor who endorsed Lightfoot.
The mayor’s job: “Through the nineteenth century, the mayor’s power was mainly as a presiding officer over the council,” the University of Chicago’s “Encyclopedia Chicago” notes. That specifically includes presiding over monthly City Council meetings. “Slowly, the office gained the authority to veto, to break tie votes in council, and to appoint commissioners,” the encyclopedia notes.
Practical matters: Despite what the city charter states, the last two mayors — Richard M. Daley and Rahm Emanuel — have wielded great authority with the council nodding in approval. Exhibit A: The parking meter deal under Daley.
How — and when — the balance of power shifted to the mayor: “In 1955, Richard J. Daley wrenched the power of actual budget-making from the City Council.The budget that’s presented is now done by the executive branch, but the council can change any line they want to. It’s the practice of machine domination,” or the mayor-as-boss system of governance, Simpson says. He notes that the pendulum swung back in the 1980s when Chicago elected its first African American mayor, Harold Washington. An all-white majority coalition of aldermen known as the “Vrdolyak 29” bubbled up and flexed its “strong City Council” muscle, blocking the mayor’s key appointments. That coalition was led by the group’s namesake — former Ald. Ed Vrdolyak, 10th — and Burke.
Why Lightfoot’s first meeting was important: After an election and the new mayor and City Council class take office, the old council “goes out of existence” — there are no committees and no committee rules, so there’s “no structure to consider legislation and budgetary matters,” Simpson said. So at today’s first meeting for Lightfoot and the new council, aldermen adopted a new structure complete with 18 committees — including several new ones, and their chairs — all recommended by Lightfoot.
The politics of it all: By getting her picks for committee chairs installed this morning, the mayor notches a win as she works to build a governing coalition she hopes will approve her agenda. “Part of giving out the chairmanships is, it also gives the person several staff members and the honor being called ‘Mr. Chairman.’ It’s clout or a measure of your clout,” Simpson says.If you’re an independent or part of an opposition caucus, not being tapped to chair a committee can also be a badge of honor.
Lincoln Towing down, but not out … of business
From the Tribune’s Robert Channick: “Lincoln Towing Service’s appeal of its license revocation by state regulators was dismissed by a Cook County judge, but the “Lincoln Park Pirates” are not sunk yet.” Read the story here.
From the Tribune’s Steve Johnson: “Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture and former director of the Chicago History Museum, has been named the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian.” Read the story here. Bunch, the first African American to hold the job in the Smithsonian’s nearly 200-year history, will oversee the organization’s 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoo centered in the nation’s capital, Johnson explains.
Robert Mueller: Special counsel report did not exonerate President Trump
“Special counsel Robert Mueller said Wednesday he was legally barred from charging President Donald Trump with a crime but pointedly emphasized that his Russia report did not exonerate the president. If he could have cleared Trump of obstruction of justice he “would have said so,” Mueller declared.” Read the Associated Press story here.
Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com.
Twitter @byldonovan