CENSUS CATCH-22 — FOP ‘DENIGRATES’ MAYOR — PRITZKER on the BUDGET: ‘IT’S A NIGHTMARE’ Presented by Facebook

Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. Out of the pandemic, something cool: Goodman brings live theater to the parks.

TOP TALKER

How the Trump administration handles the census could determine whether Illinois loses one — or two — congressional seats and who will redraw the state’s legislative maps once the 2020 Census figures are released.


It all hinges on what data can be used and the deadline for submitting it to the government.

To get up to speed: The Census Bureau originally set an April 1 deadline to turn in census forms. Then of course, the coronavirus hit, and Sept. 30 became the new target. Now there’s a push things out to Oct. 31, and a court will decide that Thursday. An end-of-October deadline would likely delay when the federal government releases the data to state legislatures so they can redraw maps based on the outcome.

The Illinois Constitution, for example, states that the General Assembly must redraw its maps by the last day of the spring session — usually May 31. That scenario is an advantage for Democrats, who wield the governor's office and both houses of the Legislature. If the General Assembly fails to approve maps by the end of the session, an eight-person bipartisan committee is named to do the job. (Democrats cringe at the thought.)

“It's a Catch-22,” Madeleine Doubek of the nonprofit Change Illinois, which supports remap transparency, told Playbook. “If we don't have a full and accurate count, then people effectively will be erased and their representation and federal funding won't be equitable for ten long years. If we do ensure we have a complete count, and that the Census Bureau processes the numbers properly, then there very well may need to be a delay in redistricting.”

There’s even buzz that a delay could push the start date of new districts to 2024 instead of 2022.

Illinois and the rest of the country will find out Thursday whether the Sept. 30 deadline stands or whether it will be shifted to allow more time for census forms to be turned in. More time would allow Illinois to get more forms turned in from Chicago’s "hard to count" South and West sides, where large populations of Black and brown residents live.

“It’s a big question mark for Springfield and for most other state capitols. We don’t know what we’re going to see and when we’re going to see it,” says Kimball Brace, president of Election Data Services Inc., which studies redistricting, election administration and the census.

Here’s another twist: The White House has made it clear for months it doesn't want to use census numbers that include undocumented immigrants, regardless of what the courts say. A federal judge has already issued an injunction to stop Trump from excluding the information. But if Trump is still in office when it comes time to turn data over to states, it's unclear to what lengths his administration might go to withhold that material.

Opinion: Census affects more than you think, writes Senate President Don Harmon.

THE BUZZ

SCOOP: Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s team and the Fraternal Order of Police returned to the bargaining table Tuesday only to leave farther apart. The FOP fumed in a Facebook post, calling the mayor a liar after the meeting. Lightfoot’s team pushed back. In a letter obtained by Playbook this morning, her negotiating team criticized FOP President John Catanzara, of “denigrating” the mayor and not putting police officers first.

“We came to the bargaining table in good faith and made you a serious proposal. Our budget director and chief financial officer joined us at the table and explained the historic budget gap we are facing, and the damage that COVID-19 caused to our finances…we implored you to take our offer seriously,” wrote Mike Frisch, senior counsel and legal adviser to Lightfoot and a member of the mayor’s negotiating team, in a letter obtained by Playbook. “Your response, unfortunately, indicated to us that you would do nothing of the sort. Remarkably, you questioned the financial straits our City finds itself in, and told us to look to the public schools and the developers of Lincoln Yards to fill our budget gap, neither of which are serious solutions.”

Catanzara “threatened to walk out of the room” when reminded that the city “would not consider any collective bargaining agreement that failed to include accountability reforms. Indeed, you spent the session denigrating the mayor and pointing fingers,” Frisch continued.

The letter, just the latest sign of a deteriorating relationship between the mayor and FOP chief, wraps up reminding that Lightfoot’s administration “has now concluded collective bargaining agreements with every single union except the Lodge. This includes all the public safety unions — the police supervisors, the firemen, and the non-sworn public safety employees in Unit II. Your members deserve better.”

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WHERE'S LORI

No official public events.

At the Thompson Center at noon for a Covid-19 update and then in Little Village at 2:30 to attend a Mexican Independence Day celebration and to discuss the 2020 census. Watch both events live

Where's Toni

Schedule wasn’t provided.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 20 new deaths to the coronavirus Tuesday and 1,466 new confirmed cases in Illinois. That’s a total of 8,332 deaths and 264,210 cases statewide. The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total tests from Sept. 8 through 14 is 3.6 percent. Chicago’s positivity rate is at 5.2 percent.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

— Pritzker keeps school sports on the sidelines: “‘I know that there are people who would like me simply to make a political decision to allow people to endanger themselves,’ he told reporters,” writes NPR Illinois’ Sean Crawford.

— When Covid came to Cook County Jail: “At the peak of the pandemic, the crowded city within a city became a top hot spot. Facing cases on a mass scale, officials and doctors had to leap into action without a playbook. This is the story of how they beat back the outbreak — and how close they came to catastrophe,” by Bryan Smith for Chicago magazine.

— Covid-19 cases plummet at Notre Dame since a two-week campus shutdown: “Can that work for other universities struggling to contain the virus’s spread?” writes Tribune’s Elyssa Cherney

— Business owners hurt by coronavirus can apply for state frant starting Thursday: “The state is opening up applications for the second round of Business Interruption Grants to help entrepreneurs who have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” by Block Club’s Kelly Bauer.





ENDORSEMENTS

— FOP ENDORSES WILSON: “The Chicago lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed independent candidate Willie Wilson over Democratic incumbent Dick Durbin and Republican Mark Curran in Illinois' U.S. Senate race, Wilson's campaign announced Tuesday,” by the Daily Herald’s Kayleigh Padar.

... The FOP also rolled out its endorsements for other Chicago-area races, including state Rep. Brad Stephens (a Republican), state Sen. Robert Martwick (a Democrat), Board of Review candidate Tammy Wendt, and a few Republicans running for Congress. Full list here

— Top Republicans are backing a Democrat in this Illinois Supreme Court race: “Despite potential remap implications, some big-name GOP members are throwing their support behind Justice Thomas Kilbride,” by Crain’s Greg Hinz.

— Tea Party Express, a California-based political action committee, has endorsed Jeanne Ives for Illinois’ 6th Congressional District. In a release, Tea Party Express Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Sal Russo praised Ives “for her principled leadership and commitment to the Tea Party values of limited government and economic prosperity. She has taken on challenging races because she is committed to her platform for conservative solutions, and she is adamantly opposed to the big government, left-wing activism that has pervaded Democrat politics, particularly in her home state of Illinois.”

THE JUICE

Madigan’s war chest is overflowing: “Heading into the final stretch of the election season, and despite being implicated in a ComEd scandal, the four funds House Speaker Michael Madigan controls are flush with campaign cash,” by Crain’s A.D. Quig (with graphics).

FROM THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE

While Congress drags its heels on a coronavirus relief bill, Illinois must brace for what Gov. J.B. Pritzker called a “nightmare scenario” that includes layoffs, service reductions and budget cuts: 5 percent this year and 10 percent next year.

“Until Republicans in Washington decide otherwise, middle class, working class and poor families across our state and across the nation will likely suffer from cuts to public safety, education, human services and environmental safety — and the potential layoffs will make the economic recession worse,” Pritzker said Tuesday. “For everyone and anyone who got into public service who actually wants to serve the public, this is a nightmare scenario.”

The Tribune’s Dan Petrella says the blame game is falling along party lines about how to deal with the funding crisis.

“Every state in the nation has suffered, every municipality in the nation has suffered from the fiscal effects of COVID-19,” Pritzker said.

Republicans said they’re not surprised. “House Republicans repeatedly warned the Democrats in May about this looming catastrophe — budgeting for $42 billion in spending with only $37 billion in revenue,” House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said in a statement.

“The $5 billion hole, created by the Democrat-controlled government, was to be filled on a wish and a prayer through a Congressional bailout that never happened,” the Western Springs Republican said. “This may be the worst budget in recent memory. My caucus will gladly return to Springfield to fix this disaster with a reality check on our finances and hopefully avoid further damage to our state.”

The Sun-Times’ Rachel Hinton has more on the budget breakdown for the state, as well as the City of Chicago and Cook County.





SPOTLIGHT

THE FIFTY: Governors and mayors have never mattered more to the future of the nation, and The Fifty, a new series from POLITICO, takes you inside the role they’re playing in the pandemic and more. Today’s lead: The governor who holds Trump’s fate — a profile of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by POLITICO’s Michael Kruse, Matt Dixon and Gary Fineout.

THE STATEWIDES

— Businesses, states pass on Trump payroll tax deferral: “This is not a partisan issue,” Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, told The Hill. She said her office’s employees’ taxes won’t be deferred, and agencies under the state governor’s purview also are not implementing the deferral. “I decided not to support a deferral that would double workers’ taxes after January and on top of that put Social Security at risk,” Mendoza said.

— Still no answers to lawmakers’ questions about children stuck in psychiatric hospitals: “In a hearing Monday, Illinois lawmakers pressed officials with the state’s child welfare agency to answer the same question they asked two years ago: What is the agency doing to find homes for the growing number of children stuck in psychiatric hospitals after they have completed treatment?” by ProPublica Illinois’ Duaa Eldeib.

— Lawmakers’ probe of Madigan is officially paused until U.S. Attorney offers guidance: “The Democratic chairman and ranking Republican on a special legislative committee investigating House Speaker Michael Madigan both said Tuesday that they are awaiting further guidance from federal prosecutors about how far they can go in questioning witnesses and calling for documents,” by Capitol News’ Peter Hancock.

— First sports-betting revenue report shows how Covid hit: only $60M, by SportsHandle’s Chris Altruda.

— 3 Illinois towns consider merging amid population exodus: “Alorton, Cahokia, and Centerville, Ill., would become the city of Cahokia Heights under the plan, which would allow them to potentially receive greater federal funding to help schools, infrastructure, public safety and more….Residents vote on the proposal in November,” via Fox News.

— State lawmakers, advocates discuss solutions to problematic sentencing policies: “Illinois state lawmakers continue to discuss criminal justice reforms they would like to see passed during veto session this fall. On Tuesday, the Senate Criminal Law Committee, Special Committee on Public Safety, and House Judiciary-Criminal Law Committee focused on changes to sentencing practices,” by Capitol News Mike Miletich.

— IDES' new callback system 'has turned out to be a failure': “The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) has been struggling to get back to people and certify Illinoisans with unemployment benefits for months now. IDES switched to the callback only model over two months ago. They thought it would help the disfunction of the previous system. But now, months later, residents and politicians are saying this system is failing miserably,” by WICS’ Matt Roy.

— Unions join to form Climate Jobs Illinois: “Pritzker backs coalition to connect workers with clean energy,” by One Illinois’ Ted Cox.

— From Landmarks Illinois: The nonprofit has awarded the first grant through its new Timuel D. Black Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to the Muddy Waters Original Jam Out (MOJO) Museum, which is working to preserve blues legend Muddy Waters’ former home in North Kenwood and convert it into a museum and cultural center. The grant is a $2,500 matching grant.

Clouted mix of insiders, others tied to state politics behind social equity pot bid: “Green Renaissance Illinois was recently named a finalist in the state lottery for the next round of licenses for lucrative cannabis businesses,” by Sun-Times’ Tom Schuba.

CHICAGO

— Understanding the toll of violence: “In a career born in her own grief, violence recovery specialist works at a Chicago hospital in a city under siege,” writes Tribune’s Annie Sweeney.

— City’s Board of Ethics to start enforcing ‘cross-lobbying’ ban Oct. 1: “The ordinance prohibits Chicago aldermen from lobbying state and local government and prevents their counterparts at those levels from doing the same at City Hall. It was supposed to take effect on April 14,” by Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman.

— Inspector General says COPA has missed deadlines: "The Chicago Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday released a report concluding that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability is not following policies requiring the release of video and documents to the public within 60 days in police use-of-force incidents," by CBS/2's Dana Kozlov and Adam Harrington.

— Chicago has been quietly intercepting millions from state tax refunds during the pandemic: “The Lighfoot administration intercepted at least $27 million in 2020 from residents’ state tax refunds to collect on debt, disproportionately hitting lower income neighborhoods and communities of color,” writes Simon Davis-Cohen for the Chicago Reporter.

— How this Chicago special education teacher helps students build connections, even remotely: “During an interview with [Artemis] Kolovos, she laid out her tips for engaging students and creating community with teachers, and she explained why feedback is crucial to learning,” by Chalkbeat Chicago’s Yana Kunichoff.

— More than 600 submissions entered in Chicago Winter Design Challenge, reports ABC/7’s Sara Schulte.





COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS

— Cook County homicides already past 2019, and most victims were people of color: “The medical examiner’s office — which investigates all accidental, suspicious and indigent deaths in the country’s second-most populous county — said Tuesday it has recorded 677 homicides this year, passing 2019′s total of 675,” reports Tribune’s William Lee.

— Something’s cooking: Calumet City Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush let it slip during last week’s City Council meeting that the city’s casino proposal—Southland Live Casino—has inked an agreement with South Suburban College to create a School of Hospitality. The mayor said she is optimistic about a future development involving a “leading university in gaming operations” and that incorporating an educational element in Calumet City’s bid was essential to create job opportunities and encourage diversity in gaming. Calumet City is located within South Suburban College’s district and recently received approval from the Illinois Community College Board for a new associate degree in hospitality management, which was essential for developing the new school.

DELEGATION

AT THE ABRAHAM ACCORD: Rep. Brad Schneider (10th) was one of 700 guests to attend the historic Abraham Accord at the White House on Tuesday. He was also one of only a few Democrats to attend. “If the entire [Democratic] caucus had been invited, it’s likely the entire caucus would have been there. It was a great moment for all the nations involved,” Schneider told Playbook. “It was humbling to be there, realizing it could be a new moment in the Middle East.” The accord normalizes relations between Israel, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

NATION

— ‘A heart pumping blue blood': How fast-growing Orlando threatens Trump’s reelection, by POLITICO’s Marc Caputo

— Pelosi faces growing Democratic unrest over Covid relief, by POLITICO’s Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris and John Bresnahan

— Biden wants to restore Obamacare. He may have trouble, by POLITICO’s Susannah Luthi

— Breonna Taylor’s family to receive $12M settlement from City of Louisville, via the New York Times

MEDIA MATTERS

Dan McNeil fired by 670 The Score for ‘degrading’ tweet about ESPN reporter: “McNeil had tweeted an offensive comment about the outfit worn by ESPN’s Maria Taylor during ‘Monday Night Football,’” by Sun-Times’ Satchel Price

EVENTS

State Treasurer Michael Frerichs will testify before the Security and Exchange Commission’s Asset Management Advisory Committee today. He’s expected to call for the SEC to implement mandates to boost the number of women and people of color within the ranks of the financial industry. Start time is 9 a.m., live-streamed on www.SEC.gov. Frerichs is expected to speak between noon and 1:30 p.m.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD

Ken Thomas, an attorney and former state Senate candidate, and his wife, Julia, welcomed Theodore Ezra Thomas to the world Sept. 12. We featured the Thomases in the spring in an item about couples handling baby plans during the pandemic. Pic

TRANSITIONS

— Maryam Saleh has been named executive director of the Kaplan Institute at Illinois Tech (Illinois Institute of Technology). She becomes the institute’s second-every leader. Saleh is a computational neuroscientist and start-up executive who founded the Center for Device Development that housed a medical device innovation fellowship at Northwestern University. Kaplan Institute is an entrepreneur center.

— Roger Eddy to serve as interim president of Lincoln Trails College, via WTYE

TRIVIA

TUESDAY's GUESS: Clem Balanoff, the national political director of the Amalgamated Transit Union, correctly answered that green is the oldest L car in the CTA’s fleet.

TODAY’S QUESTION: Which former Chicago alderman was indicted for attempted murder? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next Playbook. Send your best guess to [email protected] .

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— Protecting people's privacy

— Enabling safe and easy data transfer between platforms Read why we support updated internet regulations





HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Des Plaines Ald. Malcolm Chester, and Cook County Circuit Court Judge Toya Harvey.

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