Jan. 12--Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield.
Topspin
It's Tuesday, Jan. 12, the day after Mayor Rahm Emanuel got some unsolicited political advice from Springfield Republicans.
While Gov. Bruce Rauner spent Monday doing a series of sit-down interviews with reporters in Springfield, his allies in the General Assembly were in Chicago to help press his case that Emanuel should help solve the state budget stalemate.
In a speech to the City Club of Chicago, Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno seized on the controversies swirling around City Hall and delivered some unsolicited advice to the beleaguered mayor.
"Frankly, if I were the mayor, I'd try to change the narrative right now by sitting down and cutting a deal or -- 'cutting a deal' is a bad term -- trying to compromise with the Republicans in order to fix the Chicago public school problems, the city of Chicago problems and the problems of the state," Radogno said. "But candidly, the mayor has not asked me for my advice."
Unable to win support from Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton for his union-weakening, pro-business legislative agenda, Rauner has spent months publicly calling on Emanuel to step in and pressure his fellow Democrats toward a deal. Rauner argues that Chicago's financial problems -- and Emanuel's requests for assistance from Springfield -- give urgency to solving the stalemate that's left state government operating without full spending authority since July.
Emanuel has resisted and recently accused Rauner of holding schoolchildren hostage to his political agenda. The city wants hundreds of millions of dollars in relief from the state to prevent teacher layoffs.
"The fact is, it is so disappointing that these other events have made Rahm far less of a participant in this than he could have been," Radogno said. "I would tell Rahm, you are whistling past the graveyard if you don't get to your Democratic brethren and get them into the room to negotiate some real, long-term solutions for the city and the state."
House Republican leader Jim Durkin was also on hand to press the governor's case.
"The fact is, the governor hasn't changed his position," Durkin said. "If we want to get a budget done, which is going to help the city of Chicago, the Democrats need to come to us and say what they're willing to work with us on, and they are not doing that." (Kim Geiger)
What's on tap
*Mayor Emanuel is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Public Building Commission in the afternoon. No reporters' questions, however.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public events.
*Chicago City Council Housing Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. On tap: intergovernmental agreement with City Colleges' new Malcom X facility.
*Budget Committee meets at 10 a.m. On tap: an ordinance for a trial program for curbside cafes. This issue also comes up an hour later at a License Committee meeting.
*The Public Safety Committee meets at 1 p.m. On tap: Emanuel's appointment of Sharon Fairley to lead the Independent Police Review Authority.
*The Cook County Board Criminal Justice Committee will consider a resolution calling on Chief Judge Tim Evans to appoint a special prosecutor in the Laquan McDonald police shooting case and an ordinance calling for guidelines suggesting appointment of a special prosecutor in all Chicago Police Department shooting cases.
*The Police Board holds a public hearing on the search for a new police superintendent at 6:30 p.m. at the Kennedy-King College auditorium, 740 W. 63rd St. The hearing is no longer being held at the Chicago Urban League headquarters as initially planned.
From the notebook
*Council ready for reform? An ordinance to allow city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson the authority to investigate the City Council touches many aldermen's deep-seated fears that political foes will indiscriminately attack them. Ald. Ameya Pawar, 47th, supports empowering Ferguson, but during debate Monday on the measure he talked about the mentality that makes many council members reluctant to back the proposal, which would allow people to anonymously file complaints against them.
"I think part of the problem is that we haven't taken enough aggressive action on what we do as a body in City Council," Pawar said. "But on the other side of that, the Internet, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, places like Everyblock, create a really insane environment. It allows people to say whatever they want. It's totally unchecked.
"You used to have to put your name on a piece of paper, write out a letter, type it up, put it in an envelope, put a stamp on it and take responsibility for what you say. And then with social media, it doesn't even matter what you say. You have license to say whatever you want, no matter how crazy it is and no matter how libelous it is. So I understand, I get that. And there are a lot of people who want our jobs, and I think that creates a lot of incentive for people to say some of the craziest things, and quite frankly lie to get our jobs." (John Byrne)
*Foxx wins endorsement: Kim Foxx, seeking the Democratic nomination for Cook County state's attorney, has won the endorsement of the Evanston Township Democrats.
Foxx, in a three-way primary with Donna More and State's Attorney Anita Alvarez, touted receiving 90 percent of the township vote at a weekend endorsement session.
"It's clear that she has the overwhelming backing of our most engaged grass-roots activists. We're fired up and ready to fight for Kim Foxx for state's attorney," Evanston Township Democratic Committeeman Eamon Kelly said in a statement.
Foxx already had received the backing of several political leaders in the township, including U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. (Rick Pearson)
*Schneider gun ad: Former U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, seeking the Democratic nomination in the 10th Congressional District, launched his first TV ad aimed at promoting his efforts to combat gun violence.
In the ad, an announcer calls Schneider, "principled, proven, progressive" and recounts his "F" rating from the National Rifle Association. The spot also notes that Schneider's very first speech in the House after winning the seat in 2012 called for action on background checks for gun purchases.
Schneider, of Deerfield, and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering are vying for the Democratic nomination in the North Shore district and the right to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Dold of Kenilworth. Dold defeated Schneider in 2014. (Rick Pearson)
*Dem chairmen ask Rauner to restart labor talks: The Illinois Democratic County Chairmen's Association is asking Republican Gov. Rauner's administration to return to the table to negotiate a labor deal with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.
Rauner's "declaration of an impasse with ASFCME Council 31 shows that, much like a child, it is either his way or no way at all. This is not the leadership that Illinois needs right now and it certainly is not a good-faith effort," said Doug House, who chairs the Democratic group.
Neither Rauner's administration nor the union has declared an impasse in talks, however, though both sides did more posturing Friday as talks broke down.
"Compromise and contract negotiations are not a zero-sum game. Proposing extremes that leave no room for the other side is not a strategy that works. It has not worked with the legislature, and it is not working for the state of Illinois," House said. (Rick Pearson)
*Zopp to State of the Union: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Andrea Zopp will attend President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address as a guest of Democratic Rep. Danny Davis.
Davis has endorsed the candidacy of Zopp, the former Chicago Urban League president. Prior to the speech, Zopp also will join Davis at a breakfast of members of the Congressional Black Caucus and attend an open house in the office of Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.
Zopp is seeking the nomination along with U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates and state Sen. Napoleon Harris of Harvey. They are vying for the seat of re-election-seeking Republican U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk. (Rick Pearson)
*Remap signature drive gaining: The effort to change the Illinois Constitution to take much of the politics out of the redrawing of legislative boundaries is gaining steam in gathering signatures.
The Independent Map Amendment group says it ended the year with more than 483,000 signatures needed as part of the effort to get the proposal on this year's ballot in November. At least 290,216 valid signatures are needed and the group is aiming at 600,000.
"We know volunteers have collected thousands more and continue to circulate petitions," the group said in an end-of-year report. The signature-gathering effort began in April.
The Independent Map amendment would remove the legislature's direct involvement in drawing map lines -- usually creating heavily partisan districts favoring the mapmaking political party.
Under its proposal, the state's auditor general would choose a three-member review panel at random from a pool of names. That panel would then select seven members at random from a different pool of 100 names to serve on a mapmaking board. Each of the four legislative leaders also would pick a member.
The final 11-member board would be charged with drawing the maps, with seven votes needed for approval, including at least two members from each political party and three independents. (Rick Pearson)
What we're writing
*A key lesson Rauner learned in Year One.
*Aldermen scale back Emanuel borrowing plan -- for now.
*Chicago aldermen take step toward oversight they've been resisting.
*Jury selection continues in red light camera bribery trial.
*Emanuel wants new tobacco taxes after last year's big series of tax hikes.
*Lawmaker wants 30-day grace period on vehicle sticker renewals.
What we're reading
*David Bowie, one of the all-time greats.
*U.S. Supreme Court could deal unions a big setback.
Follow the money
*Track campaign contribution reports in real time with this Tribune Twitter account: https://twitter.com/ILCampaignCash
Beyond Chicago
*Presidential race, Republican side: Bumped Paul plans to boycott undercard debate.
*Presidential race, Democratic side: Clinton pitches tax on the wealthy.
*State of the Union address tonight. A look back at Obama's previous speeches.
