Pritzker: Chicago can handle protests

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Good Monday morning, Illinois. It’s history in the making today as opening arguments begin in the Donald Trump hush money case, via POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein.

TOP TALKER

SURROGATE SPEAKING: Gov. JB Pritzker is dismissing the idea that the Democratic National Convention in August has potential to be a repeat of the violent 1968 convention that was also in Chicago.

More like ‘96 than ‘68: “We believe in free speech, and we’re going to allow people to protest and say whatever it is they want to say,” the governor said during an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “1996 was also a year of a Chicago convention. … I have been to every one since I was able to vote. It was one of the best conventions in my lifetime. So, I think we’re going to see something more like that.”

Ready, Freddy: The governor also praised Chicago Police for taking quick action to clear last week’s protest near O’Hare airport. “Protesters were out and about across the country. And it was in Chicago where they ended that protest soonest. Our Chicago Police Department was able to get those folks off the highway faster than any other city in the United States. And they’re prepared for the Democratic Convention.”

Stump speeches: Pritzker spent the weekend in his role as surrogate for the Biden campaign. On Saturday, he was on the stump in Grand Rapids and Holland, Mich.

During his CNN interview, the questions ran the gamut:

About a third party: Pritzker expects Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will have “little effect” on Biden’s chances of winning. “When people go to the ballot box in November, they’re going to see that there are really only two choices, because it’s throwing away your vote if you’re a Democrat and you vote for someone else on the ballot other than Joe Biden,” he said.

On whether Biden is focusing enough on abortion, the governor said, “He’s talking about it virtually everywhere he goes. Again, Joe Biden is the one that’s going to preserve a woman’s right to choose. It was Donald Trump that took that right away.”

Whether Biden’s strategy to not talk about Trump’s legal woes is working: “When your opponent is dropping in the polls, when your opponent is creating challenges for himself, you don’t want to get in the way of that,” Pritzker said. Here’s a clip.

And should Biden debate Trump? Pritzker said, “Whenever I look at Donald Trump’s debating style, he lies and lies and lies. And it’s so hard to respond to that in the middle of a debate. … So I’m concerned about that, but I also think that Joe Biden is a terrific debater.” Here’s another clip.

CONVENTION ZONE

— Reince Priebus was pushed out by Trump. Now he’s raising money for his coronation: “Priebus said that fundraising for the GOP convention is roughly $20 million ahead of where it was at this point in 2012 or 2016 and that virtually all of the Fortune 500 companies in Wisconsin have pledged financial support,” reports The Wall Street Journal’s John McCormick.

— Englewood’s ‘Back 2 School’ parade, a tradition since 1961, canceled as police prep for Dem convention, by the Block Club’s Atavia Reed

THE BUZZ

CITY HALL ACTION: Mayor Brandon Johnson got two big wins Friday when the Chicago City Council approved $70 million for migrant funding and a plan to borrow $1.2 billion over the next five years to fund affordable housing and economic development projects.

Both proposals prompted heated debate. The migrant funding called attention to the city’s racial divide as some Black council members raised concerns about funding new arrivals without also supporting neighborhoods hurt by disinvestment. The discussion about the bond funding was focused more on oversight of the monies being spent.

Still undecided: A proposal to allow individual wards to decide if they want to keep the ShotSpotter crime-fighting tool could come up next month.

The mayor’s view: Johnson says there isn’t enough data to show ShotSpotter works.

Some aldermen disagree: Ald. Raymond Lopez said the shooting death over the weekend of a police officer is a reason to keep it. “Police were alerted to the fallen officer FIVE MINUTES before anyone called 911. That extra time is invaluable and you blissfully choose to ignore that fact,” via social media.

DEEPER DIVES

Chicago’s response to migrant influx stirs longstanding frustrations among Black residents, by The Associated Press’ Matt Brown

$70M more for migrant housing and services is approved by the City Council, by the Block Club’s Quinn Myers

Johnson’s $1.25B borrowing plan sails through City Council, by the Sun-Times’ Mitchell Armentrout

— Chicago to have one unified system for homeless and migrants, city and state officials say, by the Tribune’s Nell Salzman

If you are Reince Priebus, Playbook would like to hear from you. Email [email protected]

WHERE'S JB

Traveling across the state this week to promote the Healthcare Protection Act, including at Memorial Hospital Belleville today at 10 a.m. and at OSF HealthCare Cancer Institute at 12:30 p.m.

WHERE's BRANDON

At Hartzell Memorial United Methodist Church at 9 a.m. for an Earth Day event — At O’Hare airport at 11:30 a.m. with Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth for a groundbreaking for improvements to Terminal 3.

Where's Toni

At the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM Center) at 1 pm. to celebrate Earth Day.

Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or (heaven forbid) a complaint? Email [email protected]

SPOTLIGHT

HOUSE DIVIDED: The Illinois’ congressional delegation was divided in the high-profile votes over the weekend to give funding to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, signaling divisions within the Republican and Democratic parties.

Among Republicans: U.S. Reps. Mike Bost (IL-12), who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, and Mary Miller (IL-15) voted against the bill that would send funding to Ukraine. Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) split with his party to voted in favor of the whole package, including aid to Ukraine.

Among Democrats: U.S. Reps. Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (IL-03) and Delia Ramirez (IL-04) stuck with progressives in Congress and voted against sending aid to Israel, but they joined the rest of the Illinois Democrats to support funding for Ukraine. The Sun-Times Lynn Sweet has more.

RELATED: Speaker Mike Johnson temporarily dodges ouster vote as House passes foreign aid, by POLITICO’s Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney

BUSINESS OF POLITICS

— Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch has won approval by the Proviso Township Democratic Organization to serve as its committeeman to replace the late Karen Yarbrough. The Cook County Democratic Party is expected to ratify the decision today…. Also today… Welch is in Washington to do some fundraising, via the Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet.

— Thomas Day, a Lincoln Park resident and lecturer at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy, is running for the Chicago Public School Board representing District 4, including Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Roscoe Village and Gold Coast.

THE STATEWIDES

— Prairie Band Potawatomi becomes first federally recognized tribal nation in Illinois: “The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the decision Friday, placing 130 acres of Shab-eh-nay Reservation land southeast of Shabbona into trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, giving the tribal nation sovereignty over the land after the U.S. auctioned off its land 175 years ago,” by the Sun-Times’ Violet Miller.

— In Superman’s ‘hometown,’ a pastor vows to fight Satan’s influence at the local library: “Apocalyptic warnings of an “evil” assault are fueling a struggle for control of the public library in Metropolis, Ill.,” by NBC’s Mike Hixenbaugh.

— Washington bound: Illinois Attorney Gen. Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Michael Frerichs, state Sen. Omar Aquino and state Rep. Bob Morgan will meet with senior White House officials to discuss state action on junk fees legislation, and how it ties together with federal action taken by the Biden Administration. The Illinois House just passed a junk fees bill that would require disclosure of hidden fees.

— CHILLING STORY: An Illinois woman’s mysterious drowning is linked to a national romance scam epidemic, via CBS News

— ‘Proactive’ measure or ‘government overreach’? Lawmakers weigh ban on corporal punishment in private schools; most already prohibit it, by the Daily Herald’s Jake Griffin

CHICAGO

— Off-Duty Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca shot dead in Gage Park, by Block Club’s Kelly Bauer. Reax from the mayor and the governor.

— Johnson safety plan slow out of the gate, but mayor vows ‘root causes’ approach will work: The People’s Plan has identified “10 blocks in four neighborhoods on the South and West sides to flood with resources, everything from cleaning up vacant lots to partnering with anti-violence organizations to support troubled youth,” explains the Tribune’s Alice Yin.

COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS

— Judge tosses large portions of Evanston residents’ lawsuit over Northwestern’s Ryan Field deal, by WTTW’s Matt Masterson

— In suburban races: Congressional primary winners vastly outraised and outspent their opponents, by the Daily Herald’s Russell Lissau

— Steve Balich seeks to have uninitialed ballots thrown out in GOP committeeperson race, by the Daily Southtown’s Michelle Mullins

Reader Digest

We asked how you define success:

Charles Keller: “Providing for my family daily. And putting enough aside for their future.”

Fred Lebed: “When I get up from being knocked down, no matter how many times I get knocked down.”

Timothy Thomas Jr.: “By the accomplishments of the individuals I have influenced.”

Brent Zhorne: “Doing a job that you really like doing.”

NEXT QUESTION: What was the name of the first baseball team you ever played on?

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— Trump’s New York trial is knocking him off balance, by POLITICO’s Natalie Allison

— RFK Jr. wants to poach climate voters from Biden, skeptics from Trump, by POLITICO’s Scott Waldman

— Biden steps up Hispanic outreach as warning signs flash, by POLITICO’s Myah Ward

— SPOTLIGHT: Missing presidential record led to Obama’s office: “[It was] a heartfelt letter sent to Obama in 2009 by Natoma Canfield, a woman who battled breast cancer, struggled to pay her health insurance premiums and became the face of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. White House staffers framed Canfield’s letter, along with a pen Obama used to sign his signature piece of legislation, and hung it in the Oval Office,” reports Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold.

WEDDING BELLS

— Natalie Edelstein, spokeswoman for the 2024 Democratic National Convention host committee, and Will Jarvis, a Chicago audio producer, tied the knot Saturday at the South Coast Botanic Garden near Los Angeles. Edelstein and Jarvis met in a journalism class when they were attending University of Missouri and have been together ever since (eight years!). Pic!

SPOTTED: governor’s adviser Chris Allen, C-Strategies’ Becky Carroll, 47th Ward Committeeman Paul Rosenfeld, governor’s office digital director Christina Yan, Think Big America adviser Olivia SomdeCerff, Commerce Department deputy comms director Eliza Glezer, Democratic National Convention deputy press secretary Allison Janowski and speechwriter Maddie Stengel.

IN MEMORIAM

— ‘A McHenry County original’: Former Treasurer Glenda Miller dies at 68, by the Daily Herald’s Claire O’Brien

— Tribute to longtime Springfield photojournalist Lee Milner, by the State Journal-Register’s Steven Spearie

TRANSITIONS

— John Koenigsknecht and David Stone are now partners with Crowell & Moring’s Chicago office. They both have long histories of serving as advisers and outside general counsel to public and private companies and advising management and boards of directors on governance, compliance, executive compensation and other matters.

EVENTS

— May 17: Ald. Jason Ervin will be feted at a fundraising birthday party (for his 50th!). Details here

— May 23: Journalist Phil Ponce and Vice Mayor and Alderman Walter Burnett Jr. will be honored by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans. Details here

TRIVIA

FRIDAY’s ANSWER: Congrats to Mary Kay Minaghan for correctly answering that nothing but some inconsequential debris and an empty booze bottle were found in Al Capone’s vaults under Chicago’s Lexington Hotel when they were discovered and opened in 1986.

TODAY’s QUESTION: Who’s the fictional character who received a vote for vice president at the 1972 Democratic National Convention?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ald. Greg Mitchell, Judge Jean Cocozza, public affairs guru and former state Sen. Laura Kent Donahue, OKAY Cannabis co-founder and former Ald. Ameya Pawar, Raise Marketplace founder George Bousis, business consultant Stephanie Leese Emrich, philanthropist Sue Carey and The Wall Street Journal’s Shayndi Raice.

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Correction: Friday’s Illinois Playbook misattributed a comment from Roger Lau of the Biden Victory Fund about surrogates on the campaign trail.