>> AN EMERGENCY CITY COUNCIL

MEETING CALLED FOR FRIDAY AS

ALDERPEOPLE PUSH MAYOR LORI

LIGHTFOOT AND POLICE

SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BROWN TO

TAKE ADDITIONAL STEPS TO REDUCE

VIOLENT CRIME.

THE STATE OF ILLINOIS' CREDIT

OUTLOOK GOT ROSIER.

A LANDMARK CRIMINAL JUSTICE BILL

GOES INTO EFFECT AND THE SPREAD

OF THE DELTA VARIANT PROMPTS

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER MASK

MANDATES AND COVID RESTRICTIONS

SHOULD RETURN.

A LOT TO GET TO.

WELCOME BACK.

OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM OF

AMANDA VINICKY, HEATHER CHERONE

AND PARIS SCHUTZ.

HEATHER LET'S START WITH YOU,

PLEASE, HOW DID THIS SPECIAL

COUNCIL MEETING COME TOGETHER?

>> WELL, 19 ALDERMEN SIGNED A

LETTER CALLING A CITY COUNCIL

MEETING THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY

MORE THAN THE THREE ALDERMEN

STATE LAW REQUIRES FOR THIS

EMERGENCY MEETING.

AND THEY WANT ANSWERS FROM

SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BROWN ABOUT

HOW HE PLANS TO TAMP DOWN

VIOLENT CRIME DURING THE FOURTH

OF JULY WEEKEND JUST AROUND THE

CORNER AND IS TYPICALLY ONE OF

THE MOST VIOLENT WEEKENDS IN

CHICAGO.

MAYOR LIGHTFOOT DID NOT WANT A

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

SHE SAYS THE ALDERMEN HAVE BEEN

FULLY BRIEFED ON THE PLAN IF

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON

THAT IS UP TO THEM.

AND SHE PUT OUT A BLISTERING

STATEMENT ACCUSING THE ALDERMEN

WHO FORCED THE MEETING OF USING

PUBLIC SAFETY AS A QUOTE

POLITICAL WEDGE ISSUE.

AND WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT

THAT IS THAT MANY OF THOSE

ALDERMEN WHO SIGNED ON TO THE

CALL FOR THE MEETING ARE AMONG

HER CLOSEST ALLIES ON THE CITY

COUNCIL.

TENSIONS ARE CERTAINLY RUNNING

HIGH.

>> AND THIS COMES AS THE MAYOR

AND ALDERPEOPLE CONTINUE TO SPAR

PUBLICLY INCLUDING THAT HIGH

PROFILE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN

LIGHTFOOT AND JEANETTE TAYLOR

LAST WEEK IN CITY COUNCIL

CHAMBERS.

HERE IS MAYOR LIGHTFOOT

YESTERDAY ON "CHICAGO TONIGHT".

>> I THINK THAT WE HAVE VERY

STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH A GOOD

WORKING MAJORITY OF THE

ALDERMEN.

PROCEDURALLY, TWO PEOPLE CAN

SHUTDOWN THE ENTIRE PROCESS.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, HISTORICALLY

THAT HAS BEEN USED VERY

SPARINGLY, BUT WE'RE SEEING IT

BEING USED MORE BY PEOPLE WHO

WANT TO TURN THE LEGISLATIVE

PROCESS INTO SOME KIND OF STAGE

PERFORMANCE RATHER THAN DOING

THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE.

>> WE SHOULD MENTION WE ALSO HAD

ALDERPERSON JEANETTE TAYLOR ON

THE SHOW MONDAY NIGHT AS WELL.

PARIS, ALL THE TENSION IS FRAMED

AS COUNCIL WARS 2.0.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE

IMPORTANT CITY BUSINESS THAT HAS

TO GET DONE AND THE PUBLIC

IMAGE?

>> IT IS PROBABLY A MISNOMER TO

CALL IT COUNCIL WARS 2.0 IT IS

NOT LIKE THE BLOCK OF WHITE

ALDERMEN IN THE 80s AND THE

FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAYOR

HAROLD WASHINGTON THIS IS A

DIFFERENT DYNAMIC IN CITY

COUNCIL.

AND WITH THE ALDERMEN CALLING

THIS SPECIAL MEETING EVERYBODY

WANTS TO LOOK LIKE THEY ARE

DOING SOMETHING ABOUT VIOLENCE.

AND WHAT CAN ALDERMEN DO?

THEY CAN CALL HEARINGS AND HAVE

THE SUPERINTENDENT TESTIFY.

IT'S ALSO AS THE MAYOR SAID IT

IS A POLITICAL CO-JULY THAT THEY

CAN USE AGAINST THE MAYOR.

LOPEZ, AND JEANETTE TAYLOR AND

ED BURKE WHO IS NOT A FAN OF THE

CURRENT MAYOR.

AND THEY CAN CALL A MEETING LIKE

THIS OVER HER OPPOSITION SAYING

WE ARE NOT AFRAID OF YOU.

WE'RE [INAUDIBLE]

AND SOME MIGHT SAY IT'S

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION AND

DEMOCRACY CAN BE MESSY.

I MEAN WHEN THERE IS A BIG

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVE LIKE THE

BUDGET THE MAYOR HAS AND DOESN'T

HAVE 26 VOTES THAT IS WHEN WE'LL

KNOW.

WE ARE NOT AT THAT POINT YET.

>> AMANDA THERE IS THIS ONGOING

BATTLE OF WHAT IS KNOWN AS ADD

MANIC PREROGATIVE PUT TO THE

TEST LAST WEEK.

REMIND US WHAT IT IS.

>> ADD MANIC ALDERMANIC

PREROGATIVE GIVES SWAY ON WHAT

GOES ON IN THE WARDS THEY HAVE

THE ABILITY TO SIGN ON OR SIGN

OFF ON THINGS LIKE WHAT CAME UP

LAST WEEK WAS SIGNS IN THEIR

WARDS.

A PART OF THE PLAN MAYOR LORI

LIGHTFOOT WANTED TO MAKE IT

THESE ARE THE RULES YOU HAVE TO

FOLLOW PUT IT UNDER THE

ADMINISTRATIVE ARM AND INSTEAD

ALDERMEN SAID NO WE WANT TO KEEP

THAT ABILITY TO DETERMINE WHEN

THESE SIGNS CAN GO IN OUR WARDS

AND WHEN THEY SHOULDN'T.

AND THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR TWO

REASONS: NUMBER ONE, THE MAYOR

RAN ON ELIMINATING THAT

ALDERMANIC PREROGATIVE BECAUSE

IT'S BEEN ABUSED WITH SIGNS.

A BIG SIGN HERE REFERENCING

PARIS JUST MENTIONED

COUNCILMEMBER ED BURKE WHO, OF

COURSE, IS FACING AN INDICTMENT

FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT APPROVING SOME

SIGNAGE BECAUSE HE WANTED

INSTEAD MONEY TO BE KICKED BACK

TO HIS LAW FIRM.

>> AND HEATHER WE HAVE TO TALK

ABOUT THE PANDEMIC GROWING

CONCERNS OVER THE COVID-19 DELTA

VARIANT.

NOW, THE W.H.O., WORLD HEALTH

ORGANIZATION NOW RECOMMENDING

THAT EVEN FULLY VACCINATED

PEOPLE WEAR MASKS INDOORS.

BUT THE CITY'S TOP DOCTOR SAYS

IT IS NOT NECESSARILY NECESSARY

IN CHICAGO.

HOW SHOULD WE MAKE SENSE OF THIS

LATEST MESSAGING?

>> WELL, THE CITY'S HEALTH

DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN LOCK STEP

WITH RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND

PREVENTION AND THE CENTERS FOR

DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION

SAY LOOK THE DELTA VARIANT IS

CERTAINLY VERY CONCERNING IT WAS

THE VARIANT FIRST DISCOVERED IN

INDIA THAT HELPED FUEL THE HUGE

RISE IN CASES THERE.

ALL OF THE VACCINES THAT ARE

OFFERED THE PFIZER, MODERNA, AND

JOHNSON & JOHNSON APPEAR TO BE

SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTIVE IN

STOPPING IT.

PEOPLE WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED,

TWO WEEKS POST THE FINAL DOSE

ARE PROTECTED FROM THE DELTA

VARIANT.

THAT IS WHY THOSE PEOPLE DON'T

NEED TO WEAR MASKS.

IF YOU ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED

ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU

SHOULD BE WEARING MASKS AND

EVERYBODY SHOULD BE WEARING

MASKS IN SOME SETTINGS LIKE

HOSPITALS AND PUBLIC

TRANSPORTATION.

THE CITY IS FOLLOWING THE

FEDERAL GUIDANCE, THE WORLDWIDE

GUIDANCE HAS CHANGED A LITTLE

BIT BUT BECAUSE AMERICA IS SO

MUCH MORE VACCINATED THAN ANY

OTHER COUNTRY, THE IT IS A

LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE ON THE

GROUND.

>> MOVING OVER TO STATE

BUSINESS.

THIS WEEK MOODY'S UPGRADED

ILLINOIS' CREDIT RATING FOR THE

FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20

YEARS.

HERE IS GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER

TALKING ABOUT THE STATE'S

FINANCES.

>> AID FROM CONGRESS WAS NOT

USED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IN

2022.

THAT IS A FALLACY.

WHOEVER IS SAYING THAT HAS GOT

IT WRONG.

THE TRUTH IS WE HAD BOTH

INCREASED REVENUE FROM ECONOMIC

ACTIVITY IN THE STATE THAT WE

DIDN'T EXPECT.

I THINK NOBODY EXPECTED THE KIND

OF UPSURGE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

THAT WE HAD THAT IS PART OF IT.

AND THE OTHER IS WE HELD THE

LINE ON SPENDING.

THAT IS HUGELY IMPORTANT.

MOSTLY FLAT SPENDING ACROSS

STATE GOVERNMENT OTHER THAN

EDUCATION VITAL SOCIAL SERVICES.

>> AMANDA HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS

THIS CREDIT UPGRADE FROM

MOODY'S?

>> IT IS A BIG DEAL CONSIDERING

ILLINOIS HAD BEEN ON THE BRINK

HAD IT GONE IN THE OTHER

DIRECTION ON REACHING BELOW

INVESTMENT GRADE STATUS.

ILLINOIS HAS BEEN THE LOWEST

CREDIT RATED STATE OF ANYWHERE

IN THE NATION.

THIS IS A BIG FIRST TIME IN 23

YEARS.

THE LAST TIME INSTEAD ILLINOIS

HAS SEEN DOZENS OF DOWNGRADES.

THE LAST TIME THERE WAS AN

UPGRADE WHICH SHOULD SAVE

TAXPAYERS MONEY IS BACK WHEN

GEORGE RYAN WAS GOVERNOR AND THE

BULLS WON A CHAMPIONSHIP.

AND SO, THIS IS TRULY VERY

SIGNIFICANT.

THAT SAID, ILLINOIS NOT OUT OF

THE WOODS.

ILLINOIS STILL HAS A RELATIVELY

LOW CREDIT RATING COMPARED TO

OTHER STATES AND WHILE THE STATE

WAS RECOGNIZED FOR BEING PRUDENT

MOODY'S POINTED OUT THAT IF

LEGISLATORS HAVE A TEMPTATION TO

SKIP A PENSION PAYMENT WHICH IS

SOMETHING THAT GOVERNOR J.B.

PRITZKER HAD PROPOSED DURING HIS

TENURE, THAT GIVING 140 BILLION

UNFUNDED PENSION LIABILITY THAT

ILLINOIS COULD SEE THINGS GO

BACK DOWN AGAIN.

>> GEORGE RYAN WAS GOVERNOR AND

THE BULLS WERE REALLY GOOD A

LONGTIME AGO.

WE'VE HEARD FOR SO MANY YEARS

ABOUT ILLINOIS' BELEAGUERED

FINANCES IS THE STATE TURNING A

CORNER?

>> I THINK THE BULLS WILL BE

GOOD AGAIN, TOO.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

YEAH, AS AMANDA SAID IT'S

SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF BUT NOT

TO BE THE DEBBIE DOWNER HERE.

THE PENSION LIABILITY IS 140

BILLION OR 200 BILLION.

AND THE STATE PUT 7 BILLION A

YEAR ABOUT 30% OF ITS BUDGET AND

IT BARELY MAKES A DENT IN THAT

BELIEVE LIABILITY.

AS THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES

POINTED OUTDO NOT EXPECT THE

RATINGS TO GO UP UNTIL SOMETHING

IS DONE ABOUT PENSIONS WHETHER

IT BE MORE TAX REVENUE DEDICATED

TO PAYING DOWN THE LIABILITIES?

OR DOING SOME REFORM THAT IS

WITHIN CONSTITUTIONAL BOUNDS

WHICH DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE IS

ANY OR STRETCHING OUT HOW LONG

IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO PAY OFF

THOSE LIABILITIES.

RIGHT NOW 30 YEARS, 40 YEARS,

MAYBE IT HAS TO BE 50 YEARS.

BUT BEYOND THAT THE STATE STILL

HAS IF NOT THE WORST ONE OF THE

WORST PENSION LIABILITY

SITUATIONS IN THE COUNTRY.

AND SO IT CAN BALANCE A BUDGET

FROM YEAR TO YEAR BUT THAT

LONG-TERM CLOUD LOOMS.

>> THE 2022 ILLINOIS PRIMARY

THAT IS EXACTLY ONE YEAR AWAY

AFTER LEGISLATORS MOVED IT TO

JUNE STARTING NEXT YEAR.

HEATHER WHY THIS MOVE?

AND WHAT IS THE POLITICAL

FALLOUT GOING TO BE HERE?

>> WELL, THE SIMPLE ANSWER IS

THAT THE CENSUS IS LATE AND THAT

THE NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS

WON'T BE READY FOR PEOPLE TO

PULL PAPERS AND GET THEIR

CAMPAIGNS IN GEAR.

EVERYBODY DECIDED TO JUST PUSH

IT BACK AND LET THAT CENSUS DATA

FLOW IN WE EXPECT IT IN

MID-AUGUST A LITTLE BIT LESS OR

A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THAT WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET

GOING.

IT'S JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY

BREATHING ROOM AS THE CENSUS WAS

DELAYED BY FIRST THE PANDEMIC

AND THEN COURT CHALLENGES

BROUGHT BY FORMER PRESIDENT

DONALD TRUMP.

>> AMANDA WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT

THE GOVERNOR'S RACE?

>> YEAH, IT'S GOING TO BE TIME

FOR HIM TO MAKE A DECLARATION

SOON.

WHEN HE WAS LAST ON "CHICAGO

TONIGHT" WE ASKED HIM ARE YOU

PLANNING TO RUN AGAIN?

AND HE SAID YOU I HAVEN'T

DECIDED I HAVE TO HAVE SERIOUS

TALKS WITH MY FAMILY.

THAT SAID, HE HAD PUT $35

MILLION WHICH TO HIM MAY NOT BE

THAT MUCH, BUT THAT A HEFTY

CHUNK OF CHANGE WHEN IT COMES TO

SPENDING ON ADS AND WHAT HAVE

YOU FOR A CAMPAIGN IT CERTAINLY

SEEMS AS IF HE IS GEARING UP AND

WHAT A TIZZY IT WOULD BE FOR THE

DEMOCRATIC PARTY IF THAT THIS

POINT HE WERE TO BACK OUT.

I'M EXPECTING HE WILL BE NEEDING

TO MAKE PUBLIC DECISION SOMETIME

SOON.

BUT ALL THE BETS ARE THAT THAT

IS JUST HE DIDN'T WANT TO SAY

THAT HE WAS RUNNING PUBLICLY AND

THAT WE WILL GET THAT DELAY IN

THE PRIMARY DATE GAVE HIM

BREATHING ROOM.

>> IN WASHINGTON D.C. HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES TODAY FORMED A

COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE

JANUARY 6TH INSURRECTION AT THE

CAPITOL BUT GETTING TWO VOTES

FROM REPUBLICANS.

LIZ CHENEY AND ADAM KINZINGER.

WHAT DO YOU THINK KINZINGER'S

CALCULUS IS HERE?

HE HAS BEEN A FREQUENT TRUMP

CRITIC AND FLOATED AS A

CANDIDATE FOR STATE-WIDE OFFICE.

>> THE HOUSE SPEAKER GETS TO

APPOINT 8 MEMBERS IF THE HOUSE

MINORITY LEADER KEVIN McCARTHY

WANTS TO GO ALONG WITH IT GETS

APPOINT FIVE.

THE FACT THAT ONLY TWO HOUSE

REPUBLICANS VOTED FOR THE

COMMITTEE TO GET TO THE BOTTOM

OF WHAT HAPPENED WHEN DEMOCRACY

WAS THEIR LIVES WERE UNDER

THREAT.

IT'S STAGGERING AND IT TELLS ME

THE HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

PROBABLY WON'T WANT TO BE PART

OF THIS.

IS WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT A

REPUBLICAN KINZINGER ON A

COMMISSION TO GIVE IT THE

CREDIBILITY OF BIPARTISANSHIP.

WHATEVER THEY COME UP WITH CAN'T

BE DISMISSED AS A PARTISAN WITCH

HUNT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

AND CONGRESSMAN KINZINGER HAS

EXPRESSED INTEREST IN DOING

SOMETHING LIKE AND LIZ CHENEY IN

WYOMING.

I THINK THEY HAVE GONE FOR BROKE

HERE.

THEY ARE THE HOLD OUTS IN THEIR

PARTY SAYING WE NEED TO RID THE

PARTY OF THE LIES AND RID THE

PARTY OF THE EXTREMISM AND MOVE

ON FROM DONALD TRUMP.

AND CLEARLY, THE VAST MAJORITY

OF THE PARTY IS NOT WITH THEM.

HOW DOES THAT IMPACT THEIR

POLITICAL CAREERS?

I DON'T KNOW.

IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE

IF ONE OF THEM IF NOT BOTH OF

THEM GETS PUT ON THAT

COMMISSION.

>> HEATHER CIRCLING BACK TO CITY

NEWS, IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE

CHICAGO'S POLICE UNION'S

CONTRACT EXPIRED WITH THE CITY.

HOW HAS THAT IMPACTED POLICING

IN THE CITY?

IS THERE ANY SIGNS THE TWO SIDES

WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO AN

AGREEMENT SOON?

>> NOPE, THERE IS NO DEAL IN

SIGHT IT EXPIRED FOUR YEARS AGO

TODAY THE LARGEST CONTRACT

NEGOTIATION NOW IN THE CITY'S

HISTORY.

AND THE ISSUE IS TWO FOLD.

THE CITY WANTS REFORMS AND THE

FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE DOES

NOT WANT REFORMS.

BOTH SIDES ARE DUG IN.

AND EVEN THOUGH THE CITY IS

PREPARED TO GIVE OFFICERS A

SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF

RETROACTIVE PAY TO MAKEUP FOR

PAY RAISES THEY HAVE MISSED,

THERE SEEMS TO BE NO WAY IN

SIGHT TO BREAK THE LOGJAM

BECAUSE THE MAYOR WILL NOT

ENDORSE A DEAL THAT DOES NOT

HAVE REFORMS AND THE UNION WILL

NOT.

>> THIS IS THE HOLD PUT ON BY

THE MEASURE'S SPONSOR WHILE

SOMETIMES CAN YOU PLAY TRICKS

AND SOMEBODY AGAINST THE BILL

WILL USE THIS TO PREVENT THIS

FROM COMING LAW.

IT COMES AFTER STATE

REPRESENTATIVE DELIA RAMIREZ MET

WITH LORI LIGHTFOOT NOT A LOT OF

NEWS.

I DON'T THINK EITHER SIDE IS

BUDGING IT'S GOING TO THE

GOVERNOR WHO SAID HE WILL SIGN

IT.

C.P.S. ON THE WAY TO AN ELECTED

SCHOOL BOARD.

>> MORE TO TALK ABOUT ON THE

NEXT SPOTLIGHT POLITICS.

THANKS TO AMANDA VINICKY,

HEATHER CHERONE AND PARIS

SCHUTZ.

AND YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT