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CASTEN on AOC's Green Deal — PRECKWINKLE reflects — POPULATION dropping, again
By SHIA KAPOS and ADRIENNE HURST
04/18/2019 07:50 AM EDT
Presented by Work Your Way Coalition
Good Thursday morning, Illinois! I'm clearing my schedule to read the Mueller report.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten has high praise for fellow freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal resolution. Casten, who campaigned on a "fix climate change" platform, just wishes it wasn't sucking the air out of all the other green legislation.
"The Green New Deal has made it very hard to advance a different idea about how to move forward [on climate change] without being seen as antagonistic," Casten said during an interview with POLITICO.
Casten has bills in various forms on issues he cares about, and he's been asked by other lawmakers to join on their climate-focused bills, too. But they're all effectively on hold, he says, while Ocasio-Cortez's plan gets the headlines. The Green New Deal calls for the nation to reduce its fossil fuel use to zero within 10 years.
Casten is back in Illinois this week after his first three months in Congress. We met over coffee at Starbucks in Carpentersville. Here are seven takeaways from the interview:
On what works/doesn't work in AOC's resolution: "I agree with the urgency of it. That part is awesome. It's just more idealistic than practical. To do climate policy right, you have to understand how our current energy structure works." Casten points to questions about whether fertilizer can be made without natural gas or if aviation fuels can replace existing high-energy, low-density petroleum-based fuels. They're both areas that are difficult to de-carbonize based on current technologies.
His Capitol Hill mentors: U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, who serves Illinois' 11th District. The two representatives share a passion for science and business. Also New Hampshire Rep. Annie Kuster and Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin. "Every time I talk to [Raskin] I realize he's super smart and I leave thinking I'm super smart," says Casten.
Chief of staff: Ann Adler, who previously served as chief of staff to the late Sen. Robert Byrd. "There's a tendency to hire legislative directors of other staffers, but I wanted someone who had been a chief of staff. She knows how to get things done."
Regarding his office: It's unassuming, says Casten, though he did agree to new paint. Casten was 80th among 85 in the office lottery. He's down the hall from New Jersey Rep. Tom Malinowski, who's become a friend, and across the hall from New Mexico Rep. Xochitl Torres Small.
Fitting in: Casten is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and sits on the House Financial Services Committee with Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (4th).
He's in for 2020: "I have confidence that who I am is what people want. There will be a challenger because it's politics and that's fine. But if you poll constituents, you're going to get something that looks a lot like my policy."
On the upcoming presidential race: "I'm not committing," Casten said, acknowledging, however, that it would be difficult to campaign with a Democratic socialist at the top of the ticket. "I'm not aligned with Bernie Sanders ... I'd spend a lot of time having to explain that. It would suck up a lot of air."
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MORE BUZZ
Toni Preckwinkle is opening up about the mayoral runoff that saw her lose decisively to Lori Lightfoot. Preckwinkle tells ABC/7's Craig Wall that the loss wasn't due to her relationship with embattled Ald. Ed Burke or the kind of campaign she ran. She said it was a case of the electorate opposing the status quo. "I'm very proud of my public career, but in this environment having a two-and-a-half decade career of public service cuts both ways," she said. Story and video here
Preckwinkle looked ahead during her interview with the Sun-Times' Rachel Hinton, saying, "I've got a lot of work to do" as Cook County Board president. She also expressed confidence in Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx in the wake of how she handled the Jussie Smollett case. As for Lightfoot, Preckwinkle "wouldn't say exactly how she sees her relationship with her former opponent shaping up." Story here
Preckwinkle also said all $116,000 in contributions connected to a controversial fundraiser put on by Burke were returned to donors. The event was indirectly mentioned in the federal corruption charge against him. Earlier this week, quarterly campaign reports showed Preckwinkle had returned 39 contributions totaling $62,250. Preckwinkle says the remaining contributions aren't showing up because some donors may have chosen not to cash their checks.
A message from Work Your Way Coalition:
Work Your Way is a coalition of Chicago employers, employees, and community organizations asking the Chicago City Council to protect flexible scheduling options. Tens of thousands of Chicagoans depend on flexibility in their schedules, especially when unforeseen issues arise like illnesses, childcare, school programs, weather-related incidents, and other unplanned events.
ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR
GOP vendor made secret payments to Durkin's right hand man, reports WCIA's Mark Maxwell: "A political media firm that charged Illinois Republicans more than $2.1 million in the 2018 election cycle also made payments to David Walsh, who is House GOP Leader Jim Durkin's right-hand political operative. Those payments overlapped with a period when Walsh briefly sat on the Chicago's Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board. However, the income was not reported to the State Board of Elections as an in-kind contribution, nor did it appear on Walsh's statement of economic interest that he filed with the Cook County Clerk. 'He feels he hasn't done anything illegal or unethical," Walsh's attorney said. "He feels he's made all the appropriate disclosures about the work he did.'" Story here
SMOLLETT FALLOUT
— Why charges dropped against Jussie Smollett still a mystery despite document dump by Kim Foxx's office, according to Tribune's Megan Crepeau and Jason Meisner. The limited release of records leaves the public still largely in the dark about how exactly the deal to drop the charges against Jussie Smollett was struck. Story here
— Foxx's Smollett texts suggest Eddie Johnson was 'satisfied" with dropped charges, reports WBEZ's Miles Bryan. Story here
— Mayor says Foxx should stay put, but a review is in order: Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx should not step down over her handling of the Jussie Smollett investigation, Mayor Rahm Emanuel reiterated Wednesday. He welcomed an independent investigation into the case, saying Chicagoans deserve to know why "this was not on the level," by Tribune's John Byrne. Story here
— Celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti mulled defending brothers involved in alleged attack, reports Tribune's Megan Crepeau."Embattled celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti was in close contact with State's Attorney Kim Foxx in the lead-up to R&B singer R. Kelly's indictment — and a short time later he also mulled getting involved in Cook County's other hot-button case, the prosecution of Jussie Smollett, newly released texts show." Story here
— Census estimates show Chicago area's population declined for the fourth year in a row, reports Crain's John Pletz: "There were 22,000 fewer residents in the metro area than in 2017, a drop of 0.2 percent, and the first time since 2010 that the population has slipped below 9.5 million people. Cook County, which accounts for 55 percent of the population in the 14-county metro area, lost 24,000 residents. DuPage and Lake counties, the second- and third-largest, respectively, each lost about 2,000 residents. The exurbs of Will, Kane and Kendall counties saw modest growth of fewer than 2,000 residents each." Story here
— Police arrest 30 after busting up fights last night, reports Sun-Times' Nader Issa: Story here
— Mega-development proposed near Soldier Field wins Chamber of Commerce support; alderman wants major changes, reports Tribune real-estate columnist Ryan Ori: CEO Jack Lavin said he plans to push lawmakers to support the $19 billion project. "We're involved because we need to be bold and innovative and use our money wisely," Lavin said. "By doing the economic impact study, we're showing that the potential returns are really spectacular. "This project can be transformative for the city, region and state." Story here
— The exit interview: Two months before Emanuel's eight-year mayoral career would come to an end, Edward McClelland sat down with him to discuss his legacy. "A week afterward, the Sun-Times published excerpts from the mayor's emails detailing his exit interview strategy, to which he adhered closely during our chat: specifically, spinning the closing of 49 schools into a success story," he writes in Chicago magazine. Q&A here
— Ald. Deb Mell to ask for a recount, reports Tribune's John Byrne: Democratic Socialist Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez maintained a 13-vote lead over Ald. Deb Mell in the 33rd Ward on Wednesday, in what the Chicago Election Board said was the final tally of straggling mail-in and provisional ballots from the April 2 runoff election. Story here
— This time, Medusa freighter arrives without incident, reports Tribune's Morgan Greene: The freighter previously was blamed for causing bridges to jam, bringing traffic in downtown Chicago to a standstill and leaving commuters in its wake convinced it was cursed. Story here
— Street-paving season has begun (thank you, lord). Tribune's Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas has the story here.
Unfortunately, aldermen are considering a restrictive scheduling ordinance that will:
- Lock employees into rigid schedules that cannot accommodate last-minute school or family obligations, illnesses, or even extreme weather, without at least two weeks' notice;
- Severely limit employees' ability to swap or trade shifts with their coworkers;
- Prevent employees from picking up extra shifts to maximize their take-home pay;
- Prohibit employees from stacking consecutive shifts to maximize their time off or accommodate those who can only work a few days each week.
Chicago's proposed ordinance is the most aggressive, far-reaching restrictive scheduling proposal in the country, failing to recognize individuals' unique needs.
COOK COUNTY AND COLLARS
— Surveillance video of Aurora mass shooting made public, reports Sun-Times' Nader Issa. The video does not show any of the initial shooting Feb. 15 when Gary Martin killed five co-workers and injured another after he was told he was being fired. The sequence released yesterday begins moments after officers received the first calls of shots fired. Story and video here
— Westlake hospital controversy could put patients, community at risk, reports Sun-Times' Mary Mitchell. A public fight between a hospital trustee and the new owner "is bound to inflict wounds in the African American community that will be slow to heal." Story here
— Cook County reports 50th cold-related death this season, by Sun-Times' David Struett. Story here
Opponents to legalizing marijuana say 'it's not a done deal,' reports Tribune's Dan Petrella: "While state lawmakers continue behind-the-scenes negotiations on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, opponents of legal pot are trying to derail an outcome that some have treated as inevitable since the November election of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker." Story here
— 'Keep your mouth shut': Dems erupt over Barr's Mueller report rollout, by POLITICO's Andrew Desiderio and Kyle Cheney: Story here
— Kamala Harris takes early lead in the big-money race, by POLITICO's Maggie Severns, Elena Schneider and Christopher Cadelago: Story here
— Trump's Fox News love fest hits a rough patch, by POLITICO's Daniel Lippman and Eliana Johnson: Story here
Resolute Consulting's Emily Pevnick and husband Brandon Pevnick, of Angeles Investment Advisors, welcomed Eliana Jeanelle Pevnick on April 14. "Mom & baby are healthy and doing great."
The Rev. John Smyth, "a towering figure in Chicago's Catholic and child welfare communities who passed up an NBA career to become a priest beloved by the famous and the vulnerable, but who also faced late-life accusations of sexual abuse that are still being investigated, died Tuesday," writes the Tribune's John Keilman. He was 84. Story here
Congressional aide Bret Manley and Criminal defense attorney Raymond Wigell.
WHERE'S RAHM
In the Fulton Market District to break ground on new office building at 167 Green Street.
WHERE'S J.B.
No official events.
Shia Kapos @shiakapos
About The Author : Shia Kapos
Shia Kapos is a reporter for POLITICO and author of POLITICO's Illinois Playbook, the most indispensable morning newsletter for influencers in Illinois government and politics.
Prior to joining POLITICO, she wrote the popular Taking Names column for the Chicago Sun-Times (and before that Crain's Business). She's also had stints at Dealreporter and the Salt Lake Tribune. Shia's career has been built on breaking news and landing sit-down interviews with notable names and personalities. She's covered billionaires on the rise and lawmakers' precipitous falls—and all the terrain in between.
About The Author : Adrienne Hurst
Adrienne Hurst is the senior copy editor at POLITICO Pro.
Before joining POLITICO, she was a reporting fellow at Injustice Watch, a nonprofit investigative journalism organization focused on criminal justice issues. She has also written for Chicago magazine and the Chicago Reader.
Adrienne graduated with a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Washington.
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