* Politico…

— HEMP HARRUMPH: Gov. JB Pritzker has called on House lawmakers to pass legislation to regulate hemp products during the lame-duck session, as POLITICO’s Mona Zhang reports. But Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is pushing back. His team wants to slow down the discussion “to make sure Chicago is at the table” on hemp. “What the governor is doing is overreaching and trying to overrule Chicago’s home-rule authority to tax hemp on our own,” said a person close to the mayor’s office. Johnson supports strict public health regulations but also sees generating revenue as crucial.

The mayor’s office is pretty clueless when it comes to state stuff, and this is no exception.

1) The bill has been bouncing around for a long time in various forms. The current version passed the Senate in late May - 225 days ago. The time to be “at the table” was before then, or at least soon after.

2) From the governor’s office…

Nothing in this bill preempts Chicago’s home-rule authority. Arguments to the contrary are not based in law or fact.

Also, the mayors of Roselle, Aurora, and Waukegan are in support. They’re home rule municipalities.

* Also from the governor’s office…

Too many children have been hospitalized because of unregulated intoxicating products and predatory sales tactics. Instead of debating imaginary revenue strategies at the expense of children’s health, Governor Pritzker calls upon all elected officials to uphold their responsibility to protect our children and support this bipartisan, commonsense, and decisive action.

…Adding… The mayor’s office is in town today. Pic from Isabel of Kennedy Bartley…

I’m told the bill as of this morning had 62 House Democratic votes.