* The Sun-Times recently reported: “The day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Mayor Brandon Johnson — in DC for a mayor’s conference — and Gov. JB Pritzker — marking his 60th birthday — huddled in a phone call on Sunday morning to compare notes about the city and state responses for what may be an unprecedented rocky road ahead. …The mayor also told me he “had a great conversation with the governor this morning … about a number of things, but more specifically around holding our firm position on being a sanctuary as a state and as a city.”
NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern asked Pritzker about that claim…
MAA: Have you and the mayor spoken about the possibility of ICE raids, and how did that conversation go?
Pritzker: We really haven’t. I mean, he called me on my birthday, which was very nice, and wished me a happy birthday. And I, you know, of course, mentioned that I knew that we were preparing, that he was preparing. But I’ve spoken directly with law enforcement in the state of Illinois, not just the Illinois State Police, but also the Chicago Police Department, to make sure that everybody is operating properly in an environment in which Donald Trump is trying to scare our communities.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
* On to the failed hemp bill…
MAA: So your relationship with the mayor hasn’t had a huge fallout over the hemp legislation?
Pritzker: Well, I’ve told the mayor that he mishandled it, that whenever you’re going to come to my house, come to Springfield, and you want to lobby against a piece of legislation which, by the way, was the wrong position to take, because we’re trying to protect children. Whenever you do that, you should call me ahead of time. We can have a conversation about what should we change, what is it that you’d like to see. Maybe we’ll end up disagreeing, in which case you know he has every right to go talk to people, but don’t come into my house and talk to the people that I work with. I don’t do that. And can try to convince them to work against something. It’s a priority for me. I didn’t do that when the mayor was trying to pass a budget for the city of Chicago, which I didn’t think was the right budget. I didn’t like many of the provisions, but I didn’t go lobby the members of the the City Council against the mayor, and I certainly didn’t make public my opposition. I expressed, nevertheless, to people in his administration, what my opinions were.
MAA: Did the mayor and perhaps Speaker Welch and others, did they put their donors above the [hemp] legislation?
Pritzker: Look, I think that all I can say is that there are a lot of people who accept contributions from special interests and are swayed by them. I can’t tell you whether that’s something that the - I don’t think that that’s what the Speaker was doing. I can tell you that when organizations spread money around in Springfield, it’s because they want to get their way. And so there are people who, of course, are on their side. Intoxicating hemp is dangerous for children and adults. It needs to be regulated. And that organization, the hemp association, is working against the safety of the people of Illinois. I will stand against them every time, if that’s what they’re for.
MAA: So as the mayor has said he needs more state money to help his financial crisis with the schools. If I were the mayor, what would you say to him now about those financial needs?
Pritzker: Well, don’t try to get it with hemp, with intoxicating hemp. That’s the one thing I’d say. If you need resources, you should, of course, talk to people in Springfield. He doesn’t do that enough. He doesn’t. His relationships are not very close with people. And even when he came down last spring to talk to us, did not ask for anything while he was there. Look, we want what he wants, which is to make sure that our schools are well-funded across the state of Illinois. We share that in common. We don’t always have all the resources that are necessary to get that done. But every year that I’ve been in office, I’ve increased funding for education. More than $2 billion more is going into our public education system because of the work that I’ve done. And so do we need more? Of course, we do. We have, in fact, a law in on the books that has us increasing state funding every single year we’re doing it. So for them to claim, for people who want us to increase funding, to claim that we owe a billion dollars is kind of disingenuous. They know that we’re all trying very hard to get the resources that we need to put them into schools.
“My house”?
Go watch the rest. MAA did good, as usual.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 8:44 am:
I noticed that “My House” too. Sorta like Michael Jordon referring to the U C as his house. Or Green Bay making Soldier Field their house. I am waiting for Trump to arrest Mayor Johnson for not cooperating with ICE turning him into a martyr and ensuring his re election.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 8:57 am:
==And so do we need more? Of course, we do.==
I wish people would call him on this. “We need more funding for schools? What’s your plan to make that happen, Governor?”
BVR is the one who signed the current ed funding formula. Is JBP’s position that that’s adequate?
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:03 am:
- Is JBP’s position that that’s adequate? -
The Governor is one branch out of 3. If Chicago needs more funding, property tax increases need to be part of the mix.
Until Brandon puts his back into making some changes in Chicago, he’s probably not going to have much help from Springfield.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:13 am:
==I wish people would call him on this.==
What’s to call? He said in this very interview that he’s increased education funding every year and that the law mandates that he keep doing it. He thinks there should be more and he’s delivering more.
- Charles Edward Cheese - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:19 am:
==I wish people would call him on this.==
Governor Pritzker cannot unilaterally demand and pull funds out of thin air. It is up to all parties to come together to collaborate and reach a consensus on how to best add more dollars for education. As Gov Pritzker pointed out, Mayor Johnson has failed to do that at every opportunity, and didn’t even broach the subject when he came to Springfield.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:20 am:
==Governor Pritzker cannot unilaterally demand and pull funds out of thin air.==
No, but he could say, “I agree with the Mayor of Chicago, we need to increase education funding and here’s how I’d do it.” He is, you know, the top Executive in the state.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:21 am:
==He thinks there should be more and he’s delivering more.===
Ah, so his position is that BVR set the right education funding levels. Got it.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:29 am:
SWSider, Andy Manar was a big proponent of the funding formula when he was in the Senate and he’s been in the governor’s office for years. Seems like everyone is in alignment, not just former governor Rauner. And a $300 million increase every year is a LOT of money.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:29 am:
- Ah, so his position is that BVR set the right education funding levels. -
The Democrats in the GA put that bill together. Pritzker shouldn’t have to walk Johnson through how to do his job.
- ChicagoBars - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:30 am:
The Mayor hasn’t exactly charged ahead on some of the (probably politically suicidal) actual revenue ideas proposed by close CTU allies back when he worked for them. Not sure why anyone expects the Governor to propose or pick up the ideas now not even a CTU elected Mayor will champion.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:32 am:
==The Democrats in the GA put that bill together.==
Of course, BVR was known for his ability work with Dems and find middle ground compromises. /s
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:34 am:
- Of course, BVR was known for his ability work with Dems -
That’s my point, he wasn’t the driving force behind it. All he really added to it was the now defunct private scholarship tax credit.
You Johnson apologists really need to learn some history before you start spouting off.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:44 am:
The Mayor has no clue what he’s doing. Coming out strong against Trump is a layup, a no brainer, and he is blowing that.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 9:51 am:
==No, but he could say, “I agree with the Mayor of Chicago, we need to increase education funding and here’s how I’d do it.”==
He did. Did you even read the statement? He said he agreed that schools need more money and that he’s already delivered some and he articulated the strategy to deliver more. You can scroll up and read it.
==Ah, so his position is that BVR set the right education funding levels. Got it.==
So what’s to call JB on? He says he wants more school funding and he’s delivering more school funding.
==Of course, BVR was known for his ability work with Dems and find middle ground compromises. /s==
And indeed, he failed to do so on school funding, as he originally vetoed the bill.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:05 am:
==And indeed, he failed to do so on school funding, as he originally vetoed the bill.==
Yeah, he cut funding from CPS from the bill and it never got added back. Seems like that’s part of the problem, Arsenal.
==He said he agreed that schools need more money and that he’s already delivered some and he articulated the strategy to deliver more. ==
He’s delivering the money promised by the VC who used to be governor of Illinois.
- low level - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:07 am:
==If you need resources, you should, of course, talk to people in Springfield. He doesn’t do that enough. He doesn’t. His relationships are not very close with people==
That statement says it all.
And I see SWSider is back representing the CTU position and in the same manner as SDG. With that attitude, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always gotten. Here is a pro tip : try listening for once.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:27 am:
===BVR set the===
lol
Bruce was only interested in that bill because of the tax credit scholarship program. And the GA never coulda done it until it overrode Rauner’s veto of the tax hike.
Go back to Twitter
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:32 am:
==Bruce was only interested in that bill because of the tax credit scholarship program==
He forced the Democrats to cut funding for CPS in the Ed bill that become law. They could fix the problem now, Rich.
- SWSider - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:34 am:
==lol
Bruce was only interested in that bill ==
lol.
Bruce only signed the bill after they cut hundreds of millions in funding for CPS.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:39 am:
===after they cut hundreds of millions===
They actually sweetened the pot for CPS.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:47 am:
The “my house” language was not Pritzker’s best option.
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:50 am:
What does recapitulating Bruce Rauner’s many failures got to do with “calling” JB on wanting more school funding, which he has delivered?
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:53 am:
I guess the idea is that while JB has delivered more school funding and has a plan to keep doing so, that doesn’t really count because he’s doing so based on a law that Bruce Rauner was forced to sign after a veto?
Wasn’t school funding the veto where Rauner got the number of votes needed wrong?
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:53 am:
Just move on. The engagement troll has been fed enough.
- Yabba Dabba Doo - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 10:58 am:
Everyone post-election: “Dems need to talk like real people”
*Dem talks like a real person*
Political insiders: “No, no not like that. We don’t like the way that sounds”
I needed that laugh today.
- Chicagonk - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 11:06 am:
There are lobbyists on both sides of the hemp debate - it seems like Pritzker really cares about the impact to children which is right, but there is a middle ground that wouldn’t shut down an industry.
- TNR - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 11:14 am:
It seems like every time JB sees Brandon in the media describing a conversation the two of them had, JB’s reaction is “what the - - - - is this guy talking about?”
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 11:18 am:
===describing a conversation the two of them had===
Yeah. I checked on that Sun-Times story when it came out and was told the convo was maybe like 2 minutes long.
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 12:16 pm:
Brandon is lucky the governor didn’t sic his posse on him.
- low level - Wednesday, Jan 22, 25 @ 12:17 pm:
This thread is instructive for why the Mayor and his CTU allies are failing dramatically with legislators and others.