* ICYMI: Brenden Moore “>breaks down lame duck sessions and previews the challenges ahead for the General Assembly…

- Pritzker and lawmakers are preparing to contend with a projected $3.2 billion state budget shortfall this year.
- Speaker Chris Welch announced that his chief of staff Tiffany Moy was leaving. Word soon spread that three more top staffers — legislative director Kylie Kelly, chief counsel Kendra Piercy and spokeswoman Jaclyn Driscoll — were resigning.
- Then came Welch’s decision not to call for a vote on proposed new hemp industry regulations supported by the governor.

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Illinois House speaker to Mayor Brandon Johnson: Get ready to hear ‘no’ a lot in Springfield
∙ WCIA: Hemp bill leads to heated arguments, political rifts between top state officials

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan is walking a tightrope by testifying. Will the gamble pay off?: Testifying on your own behalf in a high-profile case is a rare move that is fraught with risk, and one Madigan, a lawyer and legendary tactician, surely considered from every angle. The decision appeared to catch even prosecutors by surprise, though by the time Madigan faces cross-examination, they will undoubtedly be loaded for bear.

* WCIA | State’s medical debt relief program off to strong start: “That’s why our $10 million state investment can turn into $1 billion in relief ultimately,” Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services Lizzy Whitehorn said. “But people don’t apply for it. Individuals don’t apply for it. When undue medical debt enters into an agreement with one of these health care providers with the hospitals, the hospital will then send a file with all of their their debts.” So far, the $10 million from the state has turned into $72 million dollars of medical debt relief. Over 50 thousand people have gotten some form of relief from the investment.

* ABC Chicago | Kennedy Expressway reversible lanes reopen to traffic: More than 275,000 drivers use the Kennedy every single day. After a delay, the reversible express lanes are finally open. Work on the express lanes was part of the second phase of the Kennedy construction project, which included pavement patching, installing new signage, lighting upgrades and bridge structure replacements.

*** Statehouse News ***
* The Comptroller’s office is hiring a drone operator. Click here to apply.

* Shaw Local | Newly-inaugurated state Rep. Briel aims to tackle community needs: “This is about building a stronger Illinois, a place I’ve called home my entire life,” Briel said in the news release. “I’m honored to have been passed the torch and take on this responsibility to address the climbing cost of living, access to affordable health- and childcare, and drive policy that invests in public safety, health and education.” In addition, Briel aims to support workers’ rights, safeguard women’s health protections and cut government waste, allowing more resources and funding to be pooled into services communities rely on.

*** Statewide ***

* WIFR | Illinois union leaders celebrate AFL-CIO, SEIU reunification after 20 years apart: By joining forces, SEIU brings 2 million workers to AFL-CIO; around 15 million workers will fall under the combined labor group’s umbrella. “Workers are organizing in Starbucks and all over the place,” says Greg Kelley – SEIU Illinois’s president. He describes an evolving economy as a motivating factor to reconvene.

*** Chicago ***

* The Triibe | New lawsuits against ComEd allege racist and retaliatory behavior: Electric utility company ComEd made headlines last year after Chicago historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, who once was a ComEd lineman, said he was lured out of his safe union job by the CEO and then promptly fired. The company, headquartered in Chicago, is making workplace news again now that several employees are openly talking to The TRiiBE about lawsuits filed against the utility, alleging civil rights violations, a hostile work environment and unlawful employment practices.

* Tribune | Former high-level assessor’s office employee under Berrios charged with taking bribes from lawyer: A former high-ranking director in then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios’ office has been charged with accepting sports tickets, restaurant meals and other bribes from a lawyer in exchange for help with property assessments. Francisco Perez, 50, of Chicago, was charged with one count of bribery conspiracy in a criminal information made public Friday. A court date has not been set, but defendants charged by way of information, rather than by grand jury indictment, typically intend to plead guilty.

* Sun-Times | City Hall insists ‘full-blown’ River West casino will thrive despite lackluster temporary casino performance: [Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski] acknowledged that the temporary casino generated just $16 million in gaming tax revenue for the city last year, less than half the $35 million Johnson’s first budget anticipated. The Medinah casino also came up short — at 80% and 65% respectively — on two other key measures: overall foot traffic and gaming revenues-per-admission. She blamed a “larger than expected impact from a lack of amenities and on-site parking” needed to “keep people in the casino longer.”

* Tribune | Chicago students pitch safety improvements for youth pedestrians and cyclists: High school students participating in the nonprofit West Town Bike’s after-school program told the Tribune that while they prize the time with friends, exercise and freedom to travel the city that they get from cycling, their routes don’t always feel safe. To make Chicago streets safer for young people to walk and bike, the students proposed a range of solutions, from fixes on specific roads to encouraging city planners to experiment with new ways to separate bikes from traffic. Their ideas didn’t always require changes to the built environment but rather a shift in perspectives.

* NBC Chicago | Sub-zero wind chills likely in Chicago area as bitter cold arrives: The Chicago area is expected to wake up to sub-zero wind chills and extremely chilly temperatures as a cold front moves through. Temperatures will drop into the teens, creating wind chill values that could reach as low as -4 degrees, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Pete Sack said.

* Block Club | Here Are The 50 Finalists For Chicago’s ‘You Name A Snowplow’ Contest: Past winners include “Skilling It,” “Ernie Snowbanks,” “Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow,” “Sears Plower,” and “Sleet Home Chicago.” “Each year, city staff looks forward to reviewing all the fun and imaginative names submitted by Chicago residents for this contest,” Cole Stallard, streets and sanitation commissioner, said in a statement. “It’s wonderful to see the creativity and engagement across the City, and we encourage all Chicagoans to take the time to check out the finalists and vote for their favorite snowplow names.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Cook County judge who shared racist meme faces state probe, reassignment and bias training: In a screenshot obtained by WBEZ, Glennon-Goodman shared a meme that depicts a smiling young Black boy and a Black child’s leg with an electronic monitor on it. The meme is headlined “little tiks [sic] … My First Ankle Monitor.” Glennon-Goodman wrote on the post, “My husband’s idea of Christmas humor,” according to the screenshot.

* Daily Southtown | Seven candidates compete for four seats on Thornton Township High School Board: A 22-year-old recent college graduate and the mother of a star basketball player who died in 2018 are among those hoping to clinch seats on the Thornton Township High School District 205 Board this spring. Though much voter attention has been on the Thornton Township and Dolton municipal elections in February, four 4-year school board seats will be on the ballot. District 205 includes Thornton High School in Harvey, Thornwood High School in South Holland, and Thornridge High School in Dolton.

* Daily Herald | Another fire breaks out at Elgin homeless encampment, as city moves closer to relocating residents: It was the third blaze to break out at the encampment since early December. The fires have prompted Elgin to launch a $2.5 million plan to offer residents of the encampment rooms at the Lexington Inn & Suites for four months. That would enable the city to clear and remediate the roughly 8-acre area on the west bank of the river.

* Daily Herald | Suburban school districts slowly rolling out electric school buses: Susan Mudd, senior policy advocate for the Environmental Law & Policy Center, said Illinois districts and transportation companies have used grants and incentives to purchase about 700 electric school buses. Among those with electric vehicles: River Trails District 26 in Mount Prospect, which uses one electric vehicle; Naperville Unit District 203, which owns four electric buses; and Huntley Community Unit District 158, which has four electric buses and is looking to add six more in the next year or so, Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer said.

* ABC Chicago | Illinois State Police squad car struck while assisting crash in Barrington, officials say: Illinois State Police said the trooper was helping officers with traffic control while they investigated a crash. The trooper put on his emergency lights, but another car hit his squad car. The occupants in the other car are also hurt in the collision. All are expected to be okay, including the trooper, ISP said.

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Push for voters to be able to recall a Sangamon County Sheriff continues: Since introducing the resolution to give Sangamon County voters the ability to recall a sheriff, Sam Cahnman’s proposal has received support from the public and the Massey Commission. In November, the Massey Commission sent its first two resolutions to the Sangamon County Board for consideration including what the Democrat, Cahnman, has been pushing for. Cahnman says, “The people of Sangamon County overwhelming want recall. Public opinion polls in Illinois last year show that 80 percent want recall. And among Republicans, it’s actually 90 percent.”

* SJ-R | King Breakfast at 50: Illinois Supreme Court justice to keynote event at new location: Frontiers member Allan Woodson said the core purpose of the breakfast is “to foster and promote racial harmony by bringing together diverse ethnic groups from the Springfield metro area to fellowship, celebrate and keep the King dream alive. “Each of the past 49 years, our members have identified and invited individuals to come share their experiences and visions with a focus on how Dr. King’s life and beliefs have impacted today’s world.”

* Jim Dey | Don’t bet rent on Decatur getting a ‘racino’: But no one should hold his breath waiting for groundbreaking. The Herald-Review noted that required legislation authorizing the facility has “yet to be filed.” The newspaper also wrote that a new gambling license would “technically be open to any group that applies for it.”

* Fox 2 Now | Illinois seeks compensation for residents exposed to radioactive waste: Some Metro East elected leaders are pushing for compensation for hundreds of residents who have been exposed to radioactive waste over the decades. On Sunday, those leaders announced they’re on a mission to do the right thing. “What was once a symbol of our nation’s strength has been a reoccurring nightmare for this community,” U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski said.