THE ILLINOIZE: Thursday Free for All...Johnson flounders in Springfield...A deal close for mass transit reform?
Monday, May 1, 2025
Rabbit, rabbit.
Good morning, Illinois.
May 1 is the day many of our subscriptions automatically renew. If you have any questions or issues, please feel free to drop me a note at patrick@theillinoize.com. All pricing will remain the same for the next year. If you aren’t a paid subscriber yet, please join us. Just yesterday, we had news on ethics reform that nobody else has had.
A little update for my radio show as well. Last month, Woodward Communications, Inc. acquired WMAY, where I host mornings from 6-9am. The previous owners, in their infinite wisdom, moved their talk programming a few years ago from 970 AM (where they had been for 50 years) to 92.7 FM. The new owners are moving us back to AM radio, where we belong, beginning today. So, if you’re in the Springfield area, you can listen this morning on either 970 AM or 92.7 FM. You can also listen at wmay.com/player. Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago), one of Speaker Chris Welch’s top lieutenants, joins me at 8:19.
There’s also a new Ground Game Podcast out this morning. Check it out here.
The House and Senate are in at noon. Governor Pritzker speaks at the annual Police Officers Memorial Ceremony at 11.
Let’s get to it.
YOUR THURSDAY FREE FOR ALL
(note: we’re not responsible for paywalls and restrictions from other news outlets, because good journalism isn’t free)
Mayor Brandon Johnson pitches ‘modest’ Springfield wish list (Chicago Tribune)
Mayor Brandon Johnson touted his Springfield agenda as both “modest” and beneficial to the whole state of Illinois during a short Wednesday stop at the statehouse, where he has had a hard time scoring points for Chicago during a tough state budget season.
It was Johnson’s first visit to the General Assembly since May 2024, when he came home with lackluster results for the city. But faced with ongoing reluctance from lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker, the mayor fine-tuned his message to hone in on the idea that helping Chicago will help the rest of the state.
“This is about what we have to do as an entire state to ensure that all of Illinois is supported,” the mayor told reporters ahead of his Wednesday meeting with the Democratic governor. “My responsibility is the city of Chicago. Our presentation is actually quite modest. The overall, ongoing issues for revenue, that will benefit the entire state.”
The mayor also hopes that Republican President Donald Trump’s second term — and the potential for the White House to deprive Chicago and Illinois of key federal funding — has increased the urgency for state leaders to move on his Springfield wish list.
Johnson first met with the governor for about half an hour. He then convened with the General Assembly’s two Democratic leaders, Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside.
In a short statement about their huddle, a Pritzker spokesperson said the governor “appreciated the opportunity to discuss the city’s priorities and our shared goals.”
“Our priority remains passing a budget that is balanced while also making meaningful investments in all Illinoisans,” the spokesperson said.
After Johnson’s roughly 10-minute meeting with Harmon — whom the mayor once worked for years ago — Harmon’s spokesperson said the Senate president thought it was a “good meeting” and that Johnson offered “measured requests and that we will review.”
Related: With Trump cuts looming, Johnson hits Springfield to plead for cash (Crain’s Chicago Business)
Editorial: Springfield should help Chicago despite Mayor Johnson’s past missteps (Chicago Tribune)
With 1 month left in session, lawmakers near deal on public transit reform (Capitol News Illinois)
Lawmakers apparently are close to a deal to resolve one of Springfield’s most hotly contested issues this session: transit reform.
Public transit agencies in Chicagoland — a region with roughly two-thirds of Illinois’ population — face a collective $770 million budget gap in the upcoming fiscal year. Heads of the agencies have turned to the state to fill that gap, but lawmakers have consistently said that reform of the agencies’ government and better oversight are required before addressing funding.
If lawmakers don’t reach a deal to reform the northeastern Illinois transit system and introduce new funding before their May 31 adjournment, transit officials say it will result in significant cuts, which would result in a “nightmare scenario,” according to Regional Transportation Authority spokesperson Tina Fassett Smith.
Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, told reporters this week that lawmakers in the Senate “are very close to agreed language on governance,” meaning a deal is close.
DeWitte, a longtime former mayor of suburban St. Charles and ranking Republican on the Senate’s Transportation committee, said the deal would leave in place the three “service boards” that operate transit in Chicago and the suburbs: the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra commuter rail service and Pace Suburban Bus.
The agreement, according to DeWitte, would provide new oversight powers to a “newly empowered” RTA, the agency that currently handles some financial oversight for the region’s transit agencies.
DeWitte was on the 16-member board of directors for the RTA for five years before joining the Illinois Senate.
Several proposals for reform have been pitched in recent months, with the plan outlined by DeWitte being similar to what he called the “labor bill” — a plan initially put forward by a coalition of organized labor groups and unions.
Related:
Buckner: The RTA is running ads while riders and legislators are running out of patience (Chicago Tribune)
Hinz: As transit meltdown nears, Springfield's still mulling what to do about it (Crain’s Chicago Business)
TOP STORIES (SO FAR) THIS WEEK ON THEILLINOIZE.COM
POLITICAL POTPOURRI
After years of negotiations, state lawmakers consider measures to phase out plastic bags, foam food containers (Chicago Tribune)
After-school programs continue push for state aid (Capitol News Illinois)
Gov. JB Pritzker urges Democrats to protest at GOP congressional offices in response to President Donald Trump (Chicago Tribune)
Gov. JB Pritzker dismisses as ‘ridiculous’ GOP accusations he urged violence in New Hampshire speech (Chicago Tribune)
Stratton’s top priority in Senate campaign: Fighting back against Trump (Capitol News Illinois)
Sen. Tammy Duckworth endorses Juliana Stratton for Dick Durbin’s seat (Chicago Tribune)
Trump AmeriCorps cuts include grant terminations for $12 million in Illinois programs (Chicago Sun-Times)
Illinois Head Start, other child care programs sue Trump administration over proposed cuts (Chicago Sun-Times)
Feds abruptly drop $3.1M forfeiture request for ex-Speaker Michael Madigan (Chicago Tribune)
Editorial: New state loan program for college students misses the real crisis (Chicago Tribune)
Opinion: Native American mascots should be phased out of K-12 schools in Illinois (Chicago Sun-Times)
Opinion: Is a Pritzker Endorsement Enough for Stratton? (Chicago Magazine)
Opinion: If you build it … you still have to pay to run it (Shaw Media)
JOIN US