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
Chicago’s 7-cent tax on paper and plastic bags starts Wednesday amid a disagreement between Mayor Rahm Emanuel and a business leader over whether the new fee will have consumers feeling tax "fatigue."
Emanuel framed the latest increase as a cost shoppers can choose to avoid.
“First of all, it’s optional, meaning if you bring a regular bag, a reusable bag, you don’t pay the tax,” he said while talking to reporters at Soldier Field after announcing the 2017 Major League Soccer All-Star Game will be held there. “And a lot of entities are giving out bags to help people manage through that issue. Second, it will advance our environmental policy because we pay extra and more constantly at landfills.”
Theresa Mintle, president of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said at the Soldier Field event that consumers do feel like the city is piling on.
“There is definite fatigue with the nickel-and-diming, whether it is mandated regulations or fees and taxes,” she said. “People understand they have to pay for a government that serves them well, and so there’s that appreciation. But there’s been a little bit too much ‘A little here, a little there, a little for you, a little for you.’ And I think there is some fatigue there.”
The tax doesn’t apply to items bought via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. And though the new city tax replaces a ban on thin plastic shopping bags, the fee applies to paper sacks too. Lots of Chicago retailers say they’ll be passing the cost along to consumers, but some won’t.
For the city, the new tax means an estimated $13 million in new money per year. Aldermen and Emanuel approved it last year in an effort to balance the city budget.
The new charge was part of a package of city attempts to generate more money, including new parking meters in the Loop and neighborhoods, as well as parking fee hikes at O’Hare International and Midway airports.
Wednesday evening, the city plans to hand out reusable bags to commuters at several CTA stations. A city news release calls them "ChiBags." (John Byrne)
What’s Betonbet on tap
*Mayor Emanuel will appear with Cubs President Theo Epstein at Hyde Park Academy High School as part of a mentoring program and talk about Willis Tower renovations in the afternoon.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner’s schedule wasn’t available.
*Bridget Coughlin, president and CEO of Shedd Aquarium, will give a lunchtime talk at the City Club of Chicago.
What we’re writing
*Amid Trump immigration controversy, Emanuel hosts Chicago Dreamer students for dinner.
*Rauner-allied group calls for slashing spending on universities, health care for poor, teacher pensions.
*Sen. Durbin calls Trump attorney general nominee Sessions ‘wrong person for job.’
*Rep. Gutierrez attacks Trump’s immigration order.
*Two lawsuits in Chicago challenge the Trump travel ban.
*Chicago State must pay whistleblower $4.3 million after delaying payment.
*Tractor giant Caterpillar will move headquarters to Chicago area, citing transportation access.
*Chicago’s racial wealth gap far worse than U.S. average, report finds.
What we’re reading
*Chicago’s top cop asks IG to look into incident involving fiancee’s son.
*Photo of Muslim and Jewish children at protest wins hearts.
*Soldier Field to host Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game on Aug. 2.
From the notebook
*Mike drop? The state Republican Party, heavily subsidized by GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner, met with little success in trying to prevent Democrat Michael Madigan’s re-election as House speaker, so they’ve embarked on a new ad campaign portraying a rapping Madigan touting his control over the state.
The half-minute ad, running only online now but with state GOP expectations to run on broadcast and cable outlets in the future, is dubbed “Drop the Mike.”
The spot is reminiscent of the JibJab.com style featured in presidential campaigns.
“I’m Mike Madigan and I rock Illinois, I’m speaker of the House and these are my boys,” says the character playing Madigan as three potential Democratic candidates for governor enter the stage: state Sen. Andy Manar of Bunker Hill and Chicago businessmen Chris Kennedy and J.B. Pritzker.
“I’m the longest-serving speaker in the U.S.A. Love to raise your taxes and I’ll make you suckers pay,” the Madigan character says.
As a signal to the 2018 legislative contests, the state GOP in a statement said that with Madigan’s election to a 17th term as speaker, “it’s clear the only way we will stop the Madigan Machine is by ousting the politicians that give Madigan his power.”
The ad can be seen here. (Rick Pearson)
*Bye, bye official state pie? The eastern tiger salamander, square dance and pumpkin pie don’t have much in common — unless you live in Illinois.
Here, they’re part of an assortment of official state symbols lawmakers have approved over the years. But legislation introduced this week by a Republican state senator aims to phase out many of them.
The bill sponsored by Sen. Tom Rooney, R-Rolling Meadows, would eliminate all official state designations except for the state flag, seal, slogan and song. Rooney said lawmakers have gone overboard in naming symbols and emblems, rending most of them meaningless.
“When things aren’t rare anymore, they lose their value,” he said.
Rooney wants to keep the state flag, seal, slogan and song intact because most people know and recognize them.
“People can rally around a flag,” he said. “People can be inspired by a seal.”
However, some lawmakers don’t seem to share Rooney’s concern. Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, R-Springfield, is sponsoring legislation that would classify shelter dogs and cats as the official state pet. The animals must either reside in Illinois or be from a state shelter or rescue facility to qualify for the honor.
Meanwhile, Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, is pushing legislation that would designate corn as the state grain. The bill harkens back to a debate from two years ago over whether sweet corn should be labeled as a fruit, vegetable or grain. It eventually was named the state vegetable. (Haley BeMiller)
*Illinois senators agree on Chao: Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth both voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick for Transportation secretary Tuesday. Elaine Chao, won approval by a 93-6 vote.
Follow the money
*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.
Beyond Chicago
*Trump picks Neil Gorsuch as his Supreme Court nominee.
*AP: Some liberals praise conservative Gorsuch.
*Votes to confirm some of Trump’s other nominees will be delayed after Democrats skip votes.
*U.S. military botches online fight against Islamic State.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
