Happy Election Year, Illinois! Welcome back to Playbook. We're glad you're here.
TOP TALKER
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson smiles during his inauguration in 2023. He'll take a bigger national role in politics this year. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
WORLD ISSUES will continue to seep into Illinois’ political psyche in 2024, from the ongoing border crisis, to war in the Middle East and a historic presidential election. Here’s what we’re seeing already:
Migrant moves: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is taking a national role in trying to manage the influx of asylum seekers. He appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, attacking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for “sow[ing] seeds of chaos” by sending migrants to Illinois without any kind of coordination. Texas sent more than 350 asylum seekers by plane to Rockford’s airport and then bused them to suburban communities — at 1 a.m. on Sunday.
The move seemed calculated, coming right after the Chicago City Council passed new rules that call for fining bus companies that don’t follow procedures to drop off asylum seekers at designated landing zones.
Paying for it: The mayor also announced the city would pull $95 million from Covid-19 relief funds to help pay for migrant housing costs, via the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout.
Middle East war: The Chicago City Council will consider a resolution this month, urging President Joe Biden and members of Congress to back a permanent cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. The resolution passed the City Council’s Human Relations Committee over the holiday break and follows the council’s passage of another measure in support of Israel. That resolution divided the council, and we expect the latest one will, too.
Convention connection: Chicago will take center stage Jan. 18 when media from across the country come to town for a “walkthrough” of the United Center, where events for the Democratic National Convention will be held. And starting today, activists can apply for a permit to protest at the event in August.
Gov. JB Pritzker isn't running for office this year but he'll play a central role in the General Election hosting the Democratic Convention and stumping for President Biden.
Quiet in Springfield: State lawmakers start their spring session Jan. 16, but we don’t expect any big action. No one wants to rock the boat before the March 19 primary.
THE BUZZ
New laws: Illinois's minimum wage is now $15 an hour, via NBC 5.
It's among more than 300 new laws on the books. Others allow employees as much as 40 hours a year of paid time off, require gun owners to register their high-powered weapons and prohibit police from pulling over drivers when they see air fresheners dangling in their cars.
— Keith Wheeler is now senior legislative affairs adviser for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. He is a former representative in the Illinois House, having served the 50th District from 2015 to 2023. The Republican Party is still working on filling Wheeler’s legislative seat before the spring session starts Jan. 16, according to a spokesman.
THE STATEWIDES
— Illinois skirted a recession last year: Employment rose in health care and government, as well as in areas such as arts and entertainment, accommodations and food service — “industries that were also hit hard during the pandemic,” via the Tribune’s Talia Soglin.
— Johnson’s new hires: Mayor Brandon Johnson has tapped Jose Tirado as executive director of the Office of Emergency Management and Communications and Lissette Castañeda as commissioner for the Department of Housing. WTTW’s Matt Massterson has details
Also appointed: Randy Conner, who retired in 2020 as the commissioner of the Department of Water Management, will return to lead the same department as it works to replace some 400,000 lead service lines, reports WTTW’s Heather Cherone.
— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Mariyana Spyropoulos has been endorsed by Teamsters Local 700, the state’s largest public sector union. Spyropoulos is running for Cook County Circuit Court clerk.
— Nicole La Ha, a Republican and former Homer Glen trustee, is running for 82nd House seat: She's also been appointed to fill the vacancy for the seat ahead of the primary after Rep. John Egofske stepped down to focus on his duties as Lemont’s mayor. Suzanne Akhras filed to run in the district's Democratic primary. the Daily Southtown’s Mike Nolan reports.
TAKING NAMES
— TIME HOP: Ashvin Lad rang in the new year (also his birthday) in Samoa, then took a short flight to American Samoa, so he could ring in the new year again!
— David Roeder, the veteran Sun-Times reporter, announced he’s retiring in a column that also pays tribute to the journalism world, via the Sun-Times.
— Anita Padilla, the veteran Fox 32 reporter, signed off last week after 25 years with the station. Here’s the goodbye clip.
— Janice Anderson has organized Democratic Voters for Naperville. She's a former Republican DuPage County Board member who left the GOP after Donald Trump took it over.
— Anthony Tamez-Pochel is featured by The Reader for his work as a community organizer and a 17th Police District Council representative. He’s also believed to be the only Native American elected official in Illinois, writes Shawn Mulcahy in The People Issue.
Reader Digest
We asked what New Year’s resolution you’d recommend for elected officials:
Mark Heffington: “I will read the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights, and it will be my guide.”
Lawrence Falbe: “I shall embrace every day Lincoln’s affirmation that it’s “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” — not the other way around.”
Lucas Hawley: “For Cook County electeds, take ownership of your shortcomings when you are wrong.”
Charles Keller: “Embrace honesty.”
Ashvin Lad: “Take part in the American Congressional Exchange and spend time in the district of a member from the other party.”
Joe Moore: “Take a member of the opposition party to lunch.”
Stephen J. Rosenblat: “Support democracy.”
Robert Williams: “Be it resolved to learn to use Proton and Signal for all communication needs”
Next question: If you had a Ted talk, what would the subject be?
— Betsy Dirksen Londrigan has been appointed administrator for the Rural Business Cooperative-Service. A former congressional candidate, she's served as USDA’s rural development state director for Illinois since January 2022.
— Scott Rice has been named interim general counsel for the University of Illinois System, pending board approval. He’s been on the university counsel’s staff since 2005 and succeeds Tom Bearrows, who retired in December.
— Yusuf Nekzad is now legislative director for Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski. He was legislative affairs coordinator in the office of the undersecretary for infrastructure at the Department of Energy.
— Crystal Olsen is now area VP of government affairs for Advocate Health. She was director of state government relations.
TRIVIA
ANSWER: Congrats to Dave Kimsey for correctly answering that White Castle restaurants were initially modeled after the Chicago Avenue pumping station’s design.
TODAY's QUESTION:Who’s the artist that sang about an Illinois killer clown? Email skapos@politico.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Today: Former Dolton Mayor Riley Rogers, Rockwool North America Public Affairs Director Sarah Sinovic, McDonalds government affairs exec Rachel Hicks Michael and former Tribune Editor Gerould Kern.
New Year’s Day: Lee County Industrial Development Association Executive Director Tom Demmer, former state Rep. Adam Brown, political consultant Jeff Orr, PSG Energy Group’s Ashvin Lad, WEC Energy senior director of government and community relations DeShana Forney and Playbooker Marilynn Miller, who turned 90!
