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Mayor Johnson heading back to Springfield next week

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Illinois

Mayor Brandon Johnson will return to Springfield next week to ratchet up the pressure on his funding requests for Chicago, but under a local and national political landscape that has shifted starkly since his last excursion to the statehouse — and with Gov. JB Pritzker preemptively throwing cold water on his visit.

At his Tuesday City Hall news conference, the mayor confirmed he will head to the Illinois General Assembly and meet with Pritzker as well as House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon. A flyer obtained by the Tribune shows the mayor’s political organization also plans to host a reception for the Chicago delegation at a Springfield venue next Tuesday evening.

The top of his agenda, Johnson told reporters, “hasn’t changed,” before his chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas elaborated that it includes securing funding for Chicago’s public schools and transit systems; “creating additional revenue, or sustaining revenue” from the prepaid cellphone and personal property replacement taxes; and investing in the joint city-state shelter system for migrants and homeless people.

The mayor last visited the General Assembly in May 2024 and saw lackluster results. But this time, Johnson hinted that President Donald Trump’s second term — and a “serious conversation about what Chicago means in this moment” — would increase the urgency for state leaders to move on his Springfield agenda.

* Full exchange…

Isabel: What do you not want to hear from Johnson in any meetings you have with him?

Pritzker: Whatever the mayor of Chicago wants to come talk about, I’m open to talking about. I’m open to talking about that. Doesn’t mean that we’re going to agree on everything, but always, my door is always open to the mayors of cities all across the state, and in particular the city of Chicago, where, no doubt, the mayor is coming to ask for things to happen.

I will say it’s April, and we put our budget together in actually, in the latter half of the prior year, and then present it in February. So it’ll be hard for us to talk about things in the current budget. Though, again, maybe there are things we can move around in the budget that’ll be beneficial to the city of Chicago.

Isabel: He mentioned today in reference to transit there might have to be progressive revenue involved on getting that funding secured. Are there any ideas that your administration has with funding that?

Pritzker: That’s a decision to be made by the city of Chicago about whether they will find sources of progressive revenue.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 8:16 am

Comments

Based on JB’s comments, going to be to be a tough ask when you show up 9 months late to the party.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 8:51 am
BJ blew his federal $ and late to the state party again. Blame Rahm? I’d bet the Bears in Arlington heights before BJ gets extra state$

Comment by 44 Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 8:56 am
-“creating additional revenue, or sustaining revenue”-

This sounds like Mayor Johnson is asking for some sort of new revenue source.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:07 am
Downtown office buildings 26% vacant

60 construction cranes operational downtown in 2019 and now only 6

CTA ridership and finances cratering because of lack of security, smoking and filthy conditions

Street takeovers in Lincoln Park and Lakeview

Record City budget deficits as far as the eye can see

When will JB and Democrats admit progressive governance has failed?

Comment by DQ Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:26 am
What a joke. The only way this Mayor can get attention is by calling people names.

Comment by Three Dimensional Checkers Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:31 am
As is quickly becoming tradition, the Mayor once again fails to comprehend the bill making process and legislative calendar.

Comment by fs Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:37 am
Holding press conferences and making public demands won’t work — in fact, it will hurt the city more than it will help. If Brandon ever gets anything out of Springfield, it will be because he does a lot of work behind the scenes with legislative leaders and the governor and his staff. Same as it always was.

Comment by Telly Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:41 am
Not sure that “conservative” governance is successful either with individual rights and religious freedom being stripped away. Of course this assumes “conservative” means Limited Government. The only True Conservative group in the United States is the ACLU.

CTA has numerous problems and some are mentioned in previous posts. Do fares need to go up? Yes. The Blue Line Forest Park
Branch needs to be rebuilt. Is Red Line extension necessary when there are other rail lines that are nearby that can be used?

Comment by Jerry Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:52 am
Once again, MBJ is positioned as the little kid trying to get a seat at the grown-ups’ table after everyone has already eaten dinner. I can’t wait for my city to elect itself some competent leadership.

Comment by I-55 Fanatic Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:55 am
==whether they will find sources of progressive revenue==

Brandon doesn’t really care if that revenue is progressive or not, as long as it’s more.

Comment by City Zen Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 9:58 am
@DQ

JB Pritzker is the GOVERNOR not the Mayor. You got a problem with Chicago take it up with the Mayor. I’m pretty sure the Governor has indicated with his comments that he’s got some issues with the Mayor as well.

Comment by Demoralized Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 10:10 am
No threat of a conservative takeover of Chicago, Cook County or anywhere in Chicagoland any time soon

Business investment would increase dramatically with pragmatic, non ideological, moderate, competent leadership

Comment by DQ Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 10:13 am
Yikes
Should be fun filled week. Will BJ’s bash be like Rich’s big tent events. Those were fun.
Any then the party rolls on the JB’s birthday party on Wednesday right?

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 10:23 am
The name calling isn’t a way to win over people, not when compromise might be necessary.

Comment by Steve Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 10:24 am
BJ saying Rahm is following the trump playbook is a laugh riot and a real indication of who the narcissist following the trump playbook actually is. I mean he did the trump name calling thing as he was saying it, irony is dead.

I hope Rahm makes a comeback. I know many didn’t like him here but he made some difficult decisions that have been a benefit to the entire state. He actually governed and go things done. The two mayors that followed him did not and it has only gotten worse in terms of leadership.

Johnson shows up at the end of April for an October conversation. genius.

Comment by JS Mill Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 11:37 am
==60 construction cranes operational downtown in 2019 and now only 6==

You realize that progressive leadership was in place when the 60 cranes were in place back then, yes? Or did that fact escape you?

Comment by low level Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 11:41 am
“serious conversation about what Chicago means in this moment”

Who from the Mayor’s office is capable to engaging in a serious conversation?

Comment by AlfondoGonz Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 12:09 pm
@JS Mill, bingo.

Trump’s playbook is name calling and blaming a boogeyman from the last decade. MBJ’s playbook is the same.

Meanwhile, Rahm’s playbook is staying quiet while the Ragin Cajun offers a salient defense. They are not the same.

Comment by Jurist Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 12:32 pm
Are you seriously telling me that for the second year in a row he missed the budget negotiation time period??

Comment by Suburban Mom Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 12:37 pm
==When will JB and Democrats admit progressive governance has failed? ==

I will admit that approximately two years after we start taxing billionaires at 1980s levels.

Comment by Suburban Mom Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 12:38 pm
BJ is on his Fantasy Train to Moneyland. When he is inevitably denied, he’ll complain loudly. JB isn’t going to destroy the budget to placate BJ.

Comment by thisjustinagain Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 1:36 pm
==Who from the Mayor’s office is capable to engaging in a serious conversation?==

Excellent question. The city CFO, Jill Jaworski, is capable of that.

==Are you seriously telling me that for the second year in a row he missed the budget negotiation time period??==

Incredible isnt it? It appears that is exactly what happened.

Comment by low level Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 1:39 pm
The state income tax on Illinois billionaires was 2.5% in the 1980’s

Comment by DQ Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 2:05 pm
Interesting you think Rahm Emanuel is a progressive

The Progressive Caucus clearly disagrees with you

Comment by DQ Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 2:09 pm
Interesting you suggest Rahm is a conservative. Conservative Republicans clearly disagree with you.

Comment by low level Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 2:25 pm
low level-

you think “pragmatic, non ideological, moderate, competent leadership” = Conservative? Interesting.

Comment by Brave New World Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 3:19 pm
===you think “pragmatic, non ideological, moderate, competent leadership”===

That ain’t Rahm

Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Apr 23, 25 @ 3:20 pm