Latest news with #CookCountyBoard
Politico
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Politico
‘Hollywood' may challenge Preckwinkle
Happy Monday, Illinois. We're back at it, wretched heat be damned. TOP TALKER EXCLUSIVE: Rickey Hendon, the former Illinois state senator and Chicago alderman, has started an exploratory committee for a possible run against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the 2026 Democratic primary. 'It may be time for a change, so yeah, I'm looking at it seriously. I've talked to some people and they're trying to get me to get back in,' Hendon told your Playbook host. 'I have the apparatus to get signatures overnight, and I feel pretty good about my chances if I decide to pull the trigger.' They call him 'Hollywood': Hendon, who's known for his outgoing style, served as a Chicago alderman and in the state Senate — he once famously got in a shoving match with then-Sen. Barack Obama on the Senate floor. Most recently, Hendon has been battling behind the scenes as a campaign consultant. He's also a businessman involved in the cannabis industry. At the plate: Hendon, who led the state legislative softball team in his day, still plays the game five days a week. It's proof, says the 71-year-old, that he's ready to play ball on the Cook County Board. Hendon says he'll make his decision on running before the July 17-18 slating by Cook County Democrats. That's when candidates introduce themselves to get the endorsement of the powerful party organization (which, by the way, is led by Preckwinkle). Preckwinkle, who is 78, is running for her fifth term and so far has no challengers, though Ald. Brendan Reilly also confirmed he's still 'very seriously considering' jumping into the race. The political take: A three-way race could make the contest difficult for Preckwinkle. THE BUZZ BEYOND THE BLAST: President Donald Trump's decision to bomb nuclear sites in Iran over the weekend has divided Illinois elected officials along party lines. Republican U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, Darin LaHood and Mary Miller all praised the airstrikes, with Miller echoing Trump's words: 'peace through strength.' Democrats in the Illinois congressional delegation were critical, with Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, calling the bombings 'illegal' and Sen. Dick Durbin blaming Trump for Iran developing dangerous weapons when he 'killed the Iran nuclear deal, which required mandatory inspections.' Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who's running for Senate, said Trump's decision to strike Iran 'will not lead to peace but rather cause more violence, destruction and conflict in the Middle East.' And Congressman Mike Quigley, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said 'diplomacy' not attacks 'is critical to global security.' Watch for Congress to take up the issue of Trump authorizing the bombings without having constitutional approval. The debate comes as lawmakers are still trying to nail down a budget reconciliation bill. The ripple effect: In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker said in a post that he has requested the Illinois State Police and federal and local law enforcement officials to update him 'on any potential physical and cyber threats to the homeland that could affect Illinois' as a result of the attacks. RELATED Trump floats regime change in Iran, muddying the administration's message, by POLITICO's Felicia Schwartz and Amy Mackinnon Oil prices jump as market awaits Iran response to attacks, by POLITICO's Ben Lefebvre If you are Mike Bost, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB No official public events WHERE's BRANDON At 5405 West Madison Avenue at 9:45 a.m. to attend the One Fair Wage celebration — At 317 North Clark at 5:55 p.m. for the Black Business Roundtable Lakeside Chat Where's Toni No official public events Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — Rahm Emanuel confronts 'awkward' prospect of facing a home-state rival in the 2028 presidential race: 'Look, JB and I are friends,' Emanuel said. The two recently had dinner, he noted. They text. 'We're going to continue to be friends, but if we're running for the same position, it will be awkward,' he told NBC News' Natasha Korecki. — In IL-09: Howard Rosenblum, a civil rights attorney, announced this morning that he's running as a Democrat for Congress for the seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. 'I know how important equality under the law and full opportunity through civil rights is. My legal experience fighting back is exactly what we need in Washington right now,' said Rosenblum, who served on the U.S. Access Board during the Obama administration and was appointed to the Illinois Human Rights Commission by Gov. JB Pritzker. — REMATCH: Maria Peterson, a Democrat, is launching her campaign for state representative in the 52nd District, which is represented by Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin. In 2024, McLaughlin defeated Peterson by 47 votes. 'Since the last election, I have committed countless hours to electing Democrats locally. ... I am ready to take this and years of fighting for our community to Springfield,' Peterson said in a statement. Among her endorsers: former Gov. Pat Quinn. The full list is here. — State Rep. Charlie Meier, a conservative Republican from southern Illinois, has announced his re-election bid. The 109th District lawmaker who's served since 2013 says he wants to address 'higher taxes, threats to our freedoms [and] radical policies coming out of Chicago are making life harder and more expensive for the rest of us.' — County contest: Ted Mason says he's been endorsed by the National Democratic County Officials in his campaign for Cook County commissioner, 15th District. The NDCO is the campaign arm of the Democratic Party. ILLINOIS' POPE — Pope Leo XIV warns of the dangers of AI on youth, by POLITICO's Nicole Markus THE STATEWIDES — Medicaid helps keep this toddler alive and at home. Federal cuts could put it all at risk: Little Marely 'requires 24/7 care after receiving a heart transplant covered by Medicaid. The U.S. Senate is considering slashing the program,' by WBEZ's Kristen Schorsch. — ICE took her mother. Now, a 6-year-old is left without a guardian or legal path back to reunite in Honduras, by the Tribune's Laura Rodríguez Presa and Nell Salzman — No surprise: Despite moves by Indiana lawmakers, Illinois' borders unlikely to change, by the Tribune's Dan Petrella — Alexi Giannoulias, the Illinois secretary of state, headlined on the national MeidasTouch podcast. The subject: The Trump administration sweeps by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles and Chicago. Watch here — The richest men in Illinois and the billion-dollar sports betting grudge: 'Neil Bluhm's grudge against FanDuel and DraftKings has lasted for at least a decade, driven millions of dollars in political donations, and found validation from another of Illinois' wealthiest men: the governor,' by Legal Sports Report's Eric Ramsey. Why Illinois Republicans are suing Democrats over 'gut-and-replace maneuver' in the General Assembly: Republicans want to prevent Senate Bill 328 (which Republicans say is anti-business) from being signed into law because it passed after midnight on the last day of session with a maneuver 'that allowed the majority party to avoid proper due process such as committee hearings and public input,' via the State Journal-Register's Tom Ackerman. — DAY IN COURT: State Sen. Emil Jones III to face retrial on bribery charges in 2026 — when he'll also be up for reelection, by the Tribune's Jason Meisner — A vehicle miles traveled tax may be what's needed to fix roads in Illinois — and across the country, by Andrew Leahey for Forbes — SOUNDS FAMILIAR: In 1894 Pullman strike, Illinois' governor fought president's decision to send in troops, by Robert Loerzel for the Tribune CHICAGO — Mayor Brandon Johnson's transportation chief departing City Hall: 'Tom Carney's departure follows several other high-profile exits in the Johnson administration this year,' by the Tribune's Alice Yin. — Embattled Kenwood shelter housing migrants and homeless Chicagoans to close in coming months, by the Tribune's Nell Salzman and Caroline Kubzansky — New Chicago clinic provides 'all-trimester' abortions up to roughly 34 weeks in pregnancy, by the Tribune's Angie Leventis Lourgos — City won't say why Beat Kitchen was booted from the Riverwalk, by the Block Club's Melody Mercado — An endangered Washington Park building inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright is in need of rescue, by the Sun-Times' Lee Bey COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS — Skokie budget restores 1 percent grocery tax, hikes water rates but freezes property tax: 'Water rate is still among lowest in area, spokesperson said,' by the Pioneer Press' Richard Requena. — Supreme Court rejects suburban toy company's push for a quick decision on Trump's tariffs, by The Associated Press — From the murders to manhunt: New book examines 'human elements' of Brown's Chicken killings, by the Daily Herald's Charles Keeshan and Susan Sarkauskas TAKING NAMES — Jerry Reinsdorf, chair of the White Sox, to give deposition in Rate Field shooting lawsuit: 'Two women were wounded in a shooting in the left-field bleachers on Aug. 25, 2023. Circumstances of the shooting remain mostly unknown,' by the Sun-Times' Kade Heather. — Lisa (Garza-Weichman) Harries has been named board chair of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Harries has served on the board since 2022. She takes over for Arielle Rodriguez Maffei, who was just appointed to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America board. Reader Digest We asked what skills make a good lieutenant governor. Claude Walker, who served as spokesperson to then-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: 'Versatility, curiosity, patience.' Alexander Domanskis: 'Being deferential to the governor, while being a true second-in-charge. Jim Lyons: 'Being able to tell the governor when he or she is wrong.' Mark Michaels: 'A Democrat who can step in when Pritzker goes to Washington.' Kathy Posner: 'Being able to build consensus, manage initiatives (rural affairs, military economic development and justice/equity/opportunity) and represent the governor across the state.' Timothy Thomas: 'Trustworthiness and reliability, experience in government and policy, and public speaking skills.' NEXT QUESTION: Who's a non-political person who's still powerful in politics? THE NATIONAL TAKE — The New York mayor's race will resonate far beyond the Big Apple, writes POLITICO's Jonathan Martin — Andrew Cuomo's anger is legendary. And it's powering his comeback, by POLITICO's Calder McHugh and Nick Reisman — Senate GOP slashes megabill's tax costs with new accounting method, by POLITICO's Benjamin Guggenheim IN MEMORIAM — Chicago is mourning the death of Sister Rosemary Connelly, who was a political force advocating for the Misericordia community for people with developmental disabilities. Once in front of a crowd, Connelly criticized then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel about a plan to charge a water fee to schools, churches and other institutions. After her comments, a blushing Emanuel took the stage to say, 'Ladies and gentleman, my five-minute rebuttal. I thought Jewish mothers had the corner on the market for guilt.' From the Sun-Times: 'She saw our kids as people, not as disabilities,' by Neil Steinberg From the Block Club: Misericordia is a national leader in caring for people with disabilities, by Noah Asimow — Elk Grove Village Clerk Lorrie Murphy dies at 63, by the Daily Herald's Christopher Placek — Alexander Polikoff, public-interest lawyer behind landmark CHA segregation case, dies, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune EVENTS — Tonight: The Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association is holding its annual Summer Brews Reception. It's always a scene. Details here — Tonight: Peggy Flanagan, the Minnesota lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate, visits Chicago for a meet-and-greet and fundraiser. Flanagan was a co-chair of the 2024 Democratic National Convention and was a close friend of slain Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman. Details here — Tonight: LGBTQ+ rights advocate and political strategist Richard Streetman discusses Pride month and issues facing the trans community on Patti Vasquez's WCPT show at 6:30 p.m. — Wednesday: State Sen. Ram Villivalam and state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado headline a virtual discussion titled 'Chicagoland Transit in Crisis: What is the Fix?' DePaul University's Joe Schwieterman will moderate. Details here TRIVIA FRIDAY's ANSWER: The town of Alhambra was inspired by the writings of Washington Irving? TODAY's QUESTION: Why was Alice Palmer kicked off the ballot in her last bid for the state Senate? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY State Rep. Mike Kelly, Ald. Scott Waguespack, former Secretary of State Jesse White, former Congressman Bob Dold, JMD Public Strategies' Joe Duffy, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting Executive Director Marc Poulos, Climate Jobs Illinois Equity Director Chynna Hampton, retired Baxter exec Valery Gallagher, D1 Capital Partners' Jeremy Katz and journalist Dawn Reiss And belated greetings to political donor and GCM Grosvenor Chair and CEO Michael Sacks, who celebrated Sunday. -30-
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to boost legal services to indigent on governor's desk
Jun. 12—Illinois legislators have created a new statewide public defender's office, but it's going to take a while to sort out the details. They put the finishing touches on the "Funded Advocacy & Independent Representation (FAIR) Act" on May 31, the last day the legislature met in its spring session. The bill now goes to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his expected signature. The legislation won't take effect until Jan. 1, 2027, because there are major details to iron out. Champaign County Circuit Judge Randy Rosenbaum, the county's chief judge and former longtime public defender, said he is, generally speaking, "very much in favor" of the idea behind the legislation but distressed by a couple of issues. The legislation "doesn't talk about any money," he said, referring to what he expects will be the massive costs of the bill. Plus, Rosenbaum said, it limits the role of the local presiding judge in selecting a county's chief public defender. For example, Champaign County Public Defender Elisabeth Pollock, a former federal public defender, was named by Rosenbaum to fill the job. But Rosenbaum said the legislation takes local "judges out of the selection process" when they are best situated to determine who is most qualified to be appointed to such an important position. He said it is his understanding the new appointment process was established to insulate the appointed county public defenders from the judiciary. The legislation is motivated by a desire to boost the quality of legal representation for individuals charged with crimes who cannot afford a to hire a lawyer. Many of Illinois' 102 counties have a public defender's office. Those that do not appoint private lawyers to handle cases for the indigent. However, there is concern that public defenders have too many cases to handle in an efficient manner. The legislation is designed to ensure they have greater resources. Pollock said she is "grateful" the legislation is before the governor and will be "excited to watch it be implemented." "It is no secret that public defenders have struggled for decades with a need for increased staffing and greater resources in the face of ever-expanding workloads," she said. She called the bill a "a necessary and meaningful step forward." However principled the motivation, the legislation shows signs of the usual politicization in this hyper-political state. For example, Rosenbaum said Cook County lobbied for the legislation but is exempt from some provisions. For example, it leaves public defender appointment power with the president of the Cook County Board instead of transferring it to a committee. The legislation establishes regional offices of the state public defenders that are designed to provide additional resources to county public defender offices. The legislation calls for the Illinois Supreme Court initially to appoint a state public defender. The Coalition to End Money Bond praised the bill, contending it "build(s) on" the SAFE-T Act social-justice law that, among many other things, abolished the cash bond system. It said the new public defender law "brings Illinois closer to ensuring that public defenders have adequate resources" to provide high-quality representation to indigent defendants. Part of the law is devoted to establishing case management resources that ensure access to a "digital discovery storage management system" and "case management software." The new office also is directed to take a survey to determine "the number of employees and contractors providing" legal services and the variety of legal services they provide. It has an odd organizational status, one dubbed as an "independent agency" within the judicial branch. The legislation directs that the state public defender's office "shall" be under the supervision of the state public defender, not the Supreme Court.
Chicago Tribune
30-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Johnson pitches ‘modest' Springfield wish list
Good afternoon, Chicago. Mayor Brandon Johnson touted his Springfield agenda as both 'modest' and beneficial to the whole state of Illinois during a short stop to the statehouse today, where he will surely face steep headwinds to accomplish what he wants for Chicago during a tough state budget season. This is Johnson's first visit to the General Assembly since May 2024, when he came home with lackluster results for the city. Faced with ongoing reluctance from lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker, the mayor has fine-tuned his message this time to make the case that helping Chicago will help the rest of the state. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Gov. JB Pritzker urges Democrats to protest at GOP congressional offices in response to President Donald Trump Pritzker was joined by Govs. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the unsuccessful 2024 vice presidential nominee, Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Kathy Hochul of New York in an hourlong, live-streamed question-and-answer event hosted by the MeidasTouch Network. Read more here. Downtown alderman considering Cook County Board run against Preckwinkle Despite Trump's order, Chicago consent decree mandating police reform 'will remain in effect' President Donald Trump's tariffs loom over the economy as shipments from China fall American businesses are canceling orders from China, postponing expansion plans and hunkering down to see what trade policy surprises President Donald Trump plans to spring on them next. Read more here. Chicago Stars fire coach Lorne Donaldson amid one of the franchise's worst starts in history In his debut NWSL season, Lorne Donaldson led Chicago to the playoffs with a 10-14-2 record. But that success quickly dried up for the Stars, who started the 2025 season with a 1-5-0 record. Read more here. More top sports stories: Chicago White Sox are sending Colson Montgomery back to Arizona for 1-on-1 work: 'Let's go and attack this now' Shota Imanaga exits his start with cramps in both legs in Chicago Cubs' 9-0 win Column: As State Street's closes for repairs, an appreciation of our bridges over the Chicago River The river is why we are here; it has for hundreds of years played a crucial role first for transportation, fishing, and farming and later as a shortcut between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, creating Chicago. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: A Palestinian student at Columbia is released after arrest at his citizenship interview A judge released a Palestinian student at Columbia University who led protests against Israel's war in Gaza and was arrested by immigration officials during an interview about finalizing his U.S. citizenship. Read more here.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Downtown alderman considering Cook County Board run against Preckwinkle
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly said Wednesday he is exploring a challenge to Toni Preckwinkle in the 2026 Democratic primary for Cook County Board president. Reilly, 42nd, told the Tribune he would make a final decision in the coming weeks, but claimed he'd been approached to take on Preckwinkle — who is so far uncontested for her fifth term — in recent weeks. He made similar overtures for a Congressional run against Democratic Rep. Danny Davis in 2015 and has also explored mayoral runs in past cycles but has stayed put in City Hall. Reilly, 42nd, one of the City Council's moderates, has represented downtown for nearly two decades. An ally to the business community, he has been one of the best fundraisers on the council and has run uncontested for the seat since defeating longtime alderman Burt Natarus in 2007. He closed the last fundraising quarter with more than $700,000 in the bank. Preckwinkle ended the same quarter with a little over half of that, $365,000, in her main campaign committee. But Preckwinkle also chairs the Cook County Democratic Party, which gives her additional political power and fundraising heft. Even so, Democrats have increasingly broken from the county organization's slated picks in ways once unthinkable, including Preckwinkle's own endorsed candidate for State's Attorney last year. Her selection, Clayton Harris III, lost in the State's Attorney primary to Eileen O'Neill Burke, with several Democrats defecting to support Burke. Reilly himself bucked the party in 2020, backing Republican State's Attorney candidate Pat O'Brien over Preckwinkle mentee Kim Foxx. Foxx won. Preckwinkle, 78, announced her plans for re-election last month, suggesting she wanted to lend a steady hand at the county during a second Trump administration. She also pointed to the ways she had stabilized the county's finances and launched meaningful criminal justice reform since 2010 that helped usher in the Pretrial Fairness Act. She told her fellow Democrats at a party meeting on April 16 that 'if I wasn't doing this job, I would just find another one, which I probably wouldn't find as interesting, challenging, or as impactful. So I decided that I would ask you and the good people of Cook County for another shot at this.' A spokesman for Preckwinkle's political organization did not immediately comment Wednesday about Reilly saying he's thinking about running against her. Reilly's father, Dr. Brendan Reilly, previously led the Department of Medicine at Cook County Hospital.
Chicago Tribune
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Downtown alderman considering Cook County Board run against Preckwinkle
Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly said Wednesday he is exploring a challenge to Toni Preckwinkle in the 2026 Democratic primary for Cook County Board president. Reilly, 42nd, told the Tribune he would make a final decision in the coming weeks, but claimed he'd been approached to take on Preckwinkle — who is so far uncontested for her fifth term — in recent weeks. He made similar overtures for a Congressional run against Democratic Rep. Danny Davis in 2015 and has also explored mayoral runs in past cycles but has stayed put in City Hall. Reilly, 42nd, one of the City Council's moderates, has represented downtown for nearly two decades. An ally to the business community, he has been one of the best fundraisers on the council and has run uncontested for the seat since defeating longtime alderman Burt Natarus in 2007. He closed the last fundraising quarter with more than $700,000 in the bank. Preckwinkle ended the same quarter with a little over half of that, $365,000, in her main campaign committee. But Preckwinkle also chairs the Cook County Democratic Party, which gives her additional political power and fundraising heft. Even so, Democrats have increasingly broken from the county organization's slated picks in ways once unthinkable, including Preckwinkle's own endorsed candidate for State's Attorney last year. Her selection, Clayton Harris III, lost in the State's Attorney primary to Eileen O'Neill Burke, with several Democrats defecting to support Burke. Reilly himself bucked the party in 2020, backing Republican State's Attorney candidate Pat O'Brien over Preckwinkle mentee Kim Foxx. Foxx won. Preckwinkle, 78, announced her plans for re-election last month, suggesting she wanted to lend a steady hand at the county during a second Trump administration. She also pointed to the ways she had stabilized the county's finances and launched meaningful criminal justice reform since 2010 that helped usher in the Pretrial Fairness Act. She told her fellow Democrats at a party meeting on April 16 that 'if I wasn't doing this job, I would just find another one, which I probably wouldn't find as interesting, challenging, or as impactful. So I decided that I would ask you and the good people of Cook County for another shot at this.' A spokesman for Preckwinkle's political organization did not immediately comment Wednesday about Reilly saying he's thinking about running against her.
