* Background is here if you need it. I kinda got suckered by this headline…

FULL INTERVIEW: Johnson fires back at Pritzker’s criticism in 1-on-1 with Fox 32

Yeah, not so much.

* To the interview…

Q: Speaking of the state partners, I want to transition to that, to that hemp bill, which you lobbied against. This is something the governor had lobbied for, to put regulations on these unregulated hemp Delta 8 products. Did you speak with the governor beforehand about bringing Chicago in and having a seat at the table on this?

Johnson: Well, here’s, let me just say this. First of all, the Governor and I, we are aligned as it relates to making sure that there are strict regulations around this particular product. Of course, we want to make sure that we keep people safe, and particularly young people, and preventing young people from you know, getting and gaining access to products that could be on could be harmful, whether that’s tobacco, alcohol or any other substance, right? So we’re in agreement there. In fact, during the budget process, as you may know, we put forth a vision and a plan around stricter regulation. Here’s all we’ve said is that we have to be at the table together to ensure that we are maximizing regulations to keep people safe, but also ensuring that local municipalities and stakeholders are part of that process. And so we’re going to work with the 104th General Assembly. Our team is going to work with the Governor’s team, the Speaker of the House, the Senate President, and all of the Chicago delegation who stood up in this moment as well and made sure that their voices were heard on behalf of their constituents. And so that process will begin January 8, 2025, once they’re sworn in, we’re ready to hit the ground running.

Q: Sounds like you’re going to be talking to the Governor’s team about this and the General Assembly. But I’ve heard from sources close to the governor that he feels blindsided. He didn’t know that, that you were going to, you know, make this push. Why pick this fight with the governor who you need on your side, Chicago needs for added school funding and for progressive revenue?

Johnson: We’re all on the same team, right? No one is picking a fight with anyone. In fact, the Governor and I, along with the [county] board president, we worked together, particularly responding to the new arrivals mission. When the governor of Texas attacked our city by using human beings, we all came together collectively and rose above those attacks when the city of Chicago was on display for the world with our Democratic National Convention. It will be the most historic convention, I believe, in our nation’s history. We worked together to pull that off. In fact, we’re working together around our One System initiative that came out of our new arrivals mission, where we added more beds for families who are struggling with housing, and so there is going to always be a collective response from the Governor, myself, the board president, to ensure that working people and our values are always front and center and we are aligned. Look, sometimes within family, we come to slightly different conclusions, but we’re all moving towards the same goal, which is to keep people safe, but also to make sure that there’s a real voice from everyone when it comes to legislation or any other idea. Look, as a middle child, I think I’m actually relatively gifted at working with multiple sides.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* From comments earlier today…

The media unsurprisingly are focused on the Pritzker -Johnson fight. But the much, much more consequential conflict here is between the Governor and speaker.