* ICYMI: Mayor Johnson sticking with CTA president for now as Gov. Pritzker calls for new leadership. Block Club…

- Pritzker, speaking at a Thursday news conference, stopped short of saying he thinks CTA President Dorval Carter should be fired — instead saying there should be “new leadership” at the transit agency.
- “It’s my job to determine the leadership of the CTA, that is my job,” Johnson said when asked about Prizker’s comments. “If people want to be mayor, they should run for it.”
- The governor appoints three members to the CTA’s seven-member board, while the mayor appoints four.

* Related stories…

∙ Streetsblog Chicago: Pressure is mounting to replace embattled CTA President Dorval Carter
∙ Tribune Editorial: The CTA is broken. Agency President Dorval Carter Jr. must go.
∙ Crain’s: As ‘Fire Dorval’ gains traction, Johnson dodges questions on CTA leader’s future

* Democrats for the Illinois House…

Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch was unanimously recommended to serve as the new Proviso Township Committeeman in a meeting held this evening of the Executive Committee, replacing the late Karen Yarbrough.

With the support of every local mayor, labor leaders from throughout the state, and active Democrats throughout the township, the Proviso Township Democratic Organization (PTDO) recommended to the Cook County Democratic Party that Speaker Welch be named Proviso Township Committeeman. Their recommendation is expected to be ratified by the full Cook County Democratic Party on Monday.

“Karen Yarbrough was a trailblazer for our region who worked hard each and every day to grow our party and ensured that local residents knew that our party stood up for working people,” said Welch. “It is an honor to follow in her footsteps and to have received such unanimous support from my friends and neighbors.”

Welch was born and raised in Proviso Township where his deep roots have motivated his work in the community for over 20 years. Before being elected State Representative, Welch served on the Proviso Township High School Board after graduating from Proviso West, where he played baseball. He and his wife are raising their two children in the community.

PTDO President Clarence Thomas, who stepped in initially to fill the role of Committeeman, understood that Welch could carry on the legacy of Karen Yarbrough, while also bringing new ideas to the party and engaging new members.

“We were saddened by the loss of our dear friend Karen,” said Thomas. We were so close, and Karen left huge shoes to fill. The entire organization believes that Speaker Welch is best able to serve as Committeeman and continue making Proviso Township a strong, united organization.”

Cook County Board Chair Toni Preckwinkle congratulated the Speaker and PTDO on what could be a game-changing appointment.

“Speaker Welch and I have a longstanding working relationship,” said Preckwinkle. “He has always been a trusted friend and staunch advocate. We both fight passionately and fervently for our party and our people. I am proud to have him join Cook County Democrats. I look forward to working with the Speaker and the party in supporting Proviso, electing more Democrats, and supporting a successful campaign for Biden Harris 2024.”

Governor Pritzker is touring the state this week to amplify the Healthcare Protection Act. The governor will give remarks at Belleville Memorial Hospital today at 10 am. Click here to watch.

*** My top picks ***

* SJ-R | ‘One of the nicest people I ever met.’ Longtime Springfield photojournalist dies at 78: Milner, a longtime presence around the State Capitol Building and Springfield with his camera, died April 17 after a recurrence of pancreatic cancer. He was 78. A memorial service is set for Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. Sixth St., from 4 to 7 p.m. April 23. […] James Milner said he and his father were bowled over by the support at the capitol and at another open house several weeks ago.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton Village Hall hit with federal subpoenas amid ongoing probe into Mayor Tiffany Henyard: A spokesperson for the FBI confirmed in a written statement that agents were “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity” in Dolton on Friday, but declined to comment on the nature of any investigation pursuant to Department of Justice policy. One of the sources said the investigation into Henyard is still in its early stages, and no charges are imminent.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | Groups battling opioid crisis express frustration over state’s speed in distributing millions of dollars from legal settlements: The payouts stem from multistate agreements with major drug distributors, manufacturers and household names such as CVS, Walgreens, and Johnson and Johnson. Payments started in 2022 and will continue well into the next decade, and offer the potential for a significant investment in harm reduction and treatment efforts. Nationwide, more than $50 billion is expected from the settlements, according to KFF Health News, which tracks the money. But so far, the flow of settlement money to organizations in Illinois has remained barely a trickle. A complex bureaucratic process for distributing the funds has put only a tiny fraction of the money into the hands of organizations dealing with the crisis.

* Daily Herald | ‘Proactive’ measure or ‘government overreach’? Lawmakers weigh ban on corporal punishment in private schools; most already prohibit it: State Rep. Margaret Croke, a Chicago Democrat, drafted the legislation after seeing an uptick of public schools in neighboring states such as Missouri reinstituting the practice. “I haven’t found recent instances here, but I don’t feel bad about being proactive,” Croke said. “We saw recently New York decided to take similar action.”

* Rockford Register Star | Illinois election authority wants voters’ personal information removed from media websites: The State Board of Elections said it did not provide data to the media group for the stories. […] Through communications with a representative of the media group, the board of elections believes the company combined 2016 and 2020 data sets for its voter stories. It used a copy of the 2016 voter file to obtain the birthdates and many of the street addresses it has published.

* Sun-Times | Ballot bypass? Illinois sees lowest presidential primary voter turnout in decades: Chicago may have avoided surpassing 2012’s bleak low-turnout record of 24.6%, eking out a final turnout of 25.8%. But statewide, just 1,518,856 of the 7,965,287 registered voters in Illinois cast ballots in the March 19 primary. That resulted in a statewide voter turnout of 19.07%, the Illinois State Board of Elections said Friday in releasing its certified election results.

* Sun-Times | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Welch travels to Washington on fundraising trip: On Monday afternoon, Welch raises money for his People for Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch committee, with the ask ranging from $1,000 for a ticket to $68,500, the contribution limit, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections, for a political action committee per election cycle. The event, at the Washington Hilton, is timed to coincide with the North America’s Building Trades Unions 2024 legislative conference and is taking place at the same hotel. Illinois state Treasurer Mike Frerichs is scheduled to speak to the conference Tuesday.

*** Chicago ***

* ABC Chicago | Chicago police mourning Officer Luis Huesca as search for Gage Park shooting suspect continues: Officer Huesca was two days shy of his 31st birthday when he was shot and killed early Sunday morning as he was arriving home from his shift, according to CPD. […] “He was a great officer,” CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said. “A great human being. And his family is dealing with a lot right now.”Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement saying in part, “I met with Officer Huesca’s mother and uncle this morning and assured them that they have the full support of my administration as they deal with this unspeakable loss. Our city is grieving, and our condolences go out to their entire family as well as Luis’ fellow officers and community.”

* Tribune | Chicago to have one unified system for homeless and migrants, city and state officials say: The “One System Initiative” will shift a “permanent shelter management to the non-profit workforce,” Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson Daisy Contreras said in a statement. Currently, the city contracts with Favorite Healthcare Staffing, whose sizable overtime has contributed to tens of millions of dollars in city payments to the firm staffing the city’s migrant shelters. The state’s office to prevent and end homelessness will lead the initiative with more than 25 community-based agencies participating, Contreras said. Planning sessions are set to begin at the end of April and go through the spring.

* Tribune | Johnson safety plan slow out of the gate, but mayor vows ‘root causes’ approach will work: A year after he took office, however, Johnson’s plan is still in its early stages, and crime remains a stubborn scourge across the city. And his move away from investing more in policing to address the problem has further enflamed opponents who have long distrusted his approach. In the West Side field house, the reality of Chicago’s violent streets was reflected in participants’ grim tone as they set about brainstorming how to make the mayor’s plans reality.

* Block Club | After Demands For Accountability, CHA Boss Agrees To Testify Before City Council Committee : Alderpeople called on CHA leaders to answer questions after an investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Project found the agency was sitting on hundreds of empty and deteriorating homes.

* CBS Chicago | Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says protests will be permitted, but safety will be maintained at DNC: In an interview with Dana Bash on CNN Sunday morning, Pritzker stressed that groups gathering in Chicago this August will be allowed some protests – to a point. “Look, we believe in free speech, and we’re going allow people to protest, and, you know, say whatever it is they want to say,” Pritzker said. “But the reality is we’re also going to make sure that people have ingress and egress and that they’re safe in our state.”

*** Downstate/Suburbs ***
* WTTW | Judge Tosses Large Portions of Evanston Residents’ Lawsuit Over Northwestern’s Ryan Field Deal: Judge Pamela McLean Meyerson on Friday agreed to dismiss three of four counts brought by a group of 13 residents who live near the stadium and who had asked the court to invalidate Evanston City Council’s 5-4 vote to change the city’s zoning law, allowing the renovated facility to host as many as six concerts per year. “I will note, as I said upfront, this case is not over,” Meyerson said after delivering her ruling, “that count one, the constitutional claim, remains pending.”

* Tribune | Wind and solar in limbo: Long waitlists to get on the grid are a ‘leading barrier’: Both projects have been approved by the Lee County Board. But neither can be built, according to a county official, due to PJM Interconnection, a powerful but little-known entity that controls access to the high-voltage electric grid in northern Illinois. “There isn’t anything we can do to help the state move forward (with its clean energy goals),” said Lee County Zoning Administrator Alice Henkel. “This is all PJM. They have the control.”

* NBC News | In Superman’s ‘hometown,’ a pastor vows to fight Satan’s influence at the local library: The dispute has pitted the city’s mayor, a member of Eastland Life Church, against his own library board of trustees. It led to the abrupt dismissal of the library director, who accused the board of punishing her for her faith. And last month, it drew scrutiny from the state’s Democratic secretary of state, who said the events in Metropolis “should frighten and insult all Americans who believe in the freedom of speech and in our democracy.”

* Daily Herald | Kane County GOP elects chair to second two-year term: Andro Lerario has been reelected for another two-year term as chair of the Kane County Republican Party. Precinct committee persons reelected Lerario, who ran without opposition, at the Kane GOP convention Wednesday in St. Charles.

* Shaw Local | How hops grown by McHenry County College students became beers at Woodstock brewery: For the first time last year, McHenry County College students learned how to grow hops and saw their harvest used to brew two beers now sold for a limited time at a Woodstock brewery. An MCC graphic arts student also designed the beer label. The two varieties of beer brewed and sold at Holzlager Brewing Co. made from MCC’s hops are the MCC Wet-Hopped American Light Lager and a dry-hopped beer, Agrarian American Pale Ale. The taste is a refreshing brew, featuring a blend of earthy and citrus notes, and both “are very well received,” said Travis Slepcevich, owner of Holzlager Brewing Co.

*** Sports ***
* Sun-Times | Sky operating chairman/co-owner Nadia Rawlinson confident in team’s direction: ‘This is our era’: The Sky are without a franchise star after trading Kahleah Copper to the Mercury at her request this offseason. What they do have, however, is a blank slate with two newly drafted twin-tower powerhouses in Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese and a coach in Teresa Weatherspoon who seems to exemplify Chicago.

* Tribune | Bill Tobin, longtime Chicago Bears personnel man who played a major role in building the Super Bowl XX champions, dies at 83: Tobin, who was the Chicago Bears vice president of player personnel from 1986-92 after joining the organization in 1975, died Thursday, the Cincinnati Bengals announced. He was 83. “Bill was relentless in pursuing a single goal: making the Bears better,” Chairman George McCaskey told the team’s website Friday. “He had a keen eye for talent and he passionately advocated for players he believed in. He helped build the greatest team in NFL history — the ’85 Bears — and for that we are forever grateful.”