>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Nick Plummer.

Brandis Friedman is on assignment.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> House Democrats are demonstrating what it means fight for the preservation.

>> Lawmakers who fled Texas for Illinois are digging in despite Governor Abbott's calls to have them arrested.

2 of those Texas Democrats here tonight.

>> We have reached a point now where there's no return.

>> A new state law boost pension payments to some police officers and fire fighters.

But what impact will it have on the city's finances?

>> We cared and responded when no one else would.

And remembering longtime AIDS activist, an LGBTQ community advocate, Lori Cannons.

>> And now to some of today's top stories.

The head of the Democratic National Committee rallies with Texas lawmakers hold up in Illinois.

Dnc Chair Ken Martin joined Governor JB Pritzker and other lawmakers to rally in solidarity with Texas Democrats who left the state to block a GOP led effort to redraw that state's congressional districts.

Martin batted away President Donald Trump's claim earlier today that Republicans are entitled to 5 additional seats in Congress.

Just this morning, he said that the Republicans are entitled to these 5 seats, right?

Let me just be really, really clear about this.

No party is entitled to any district.

We have to go out and earn the votes and that's what a democracy is about.

The fact Donald Trump believes he's entitled to the seats.

>> And he's entitled to this on constant unconstitutional power grab should tell you everything you need to know.

>> And we'll hear from 2 of those Texas Democratic lawmakers in just a moment.

The final member of the so-called ComEd for is sentenced to prison consultant and former city club.

President Jay Doherty was the final person to be sentenced for a long-running conspiracy to bribe.

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

A federal judge earlier today sentenced Doherty to a year and a day behind bars, calling him an insider who knew better and could have prevented the bribery scheme aimed at garnering Madigan support for favorable legislation.

Doherty sentencing follows long time that again confidant Michael McClain and acts, ComEd CEO and probably joy who received 24 month prison terms and former lobbyist John who faces 18 months.

Cook County Health announces a 2 million dollar effort to help people seeking reproductive health care.

The money was earmarked in the county budget passed late last year to provide wrap-around services like child care, transportation and a place to stay for women.

Coming to Illinois for abortions today, County leaders outlined details of the grant.

The award is scheduled for votes in a key committee and before the full board later this month.

Up next, we sit down with members of the Texas House of Representatives.

That's right after this.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part why the Alexandra and John Nichols the gym and K maybe family, the Pope Brothers Foundation and the support of these donors.

>> It's a Texas size showdown that's capturing the attention of the nation.

More than 50 Democratic lawmakers from Texas fled the state for Illinois, New York and Massachusetts to block an effort by Republicans redraw congressional districts.

The Trump backed plan would increase the number of Republican leaning congressional seats by 5 Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

A Republican has since called for the lawmakers to be arrested.

But Democrats say they're prepared to stay as long as it takes.

Joining us now to discuss the effort to block a quorum are 2 of those members.

Texas State Representative Vicky Goodwin who represents parts of Austin and Texas State representative Renaldo Lopez who represents large parts of San Antonio's west and northwest sides.

Thank you both for being with us.

We appreciate your time.

I'd like to ask you both.

You know, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows did authorize civil arrest warrants for you and your colleagues who left the state.

So today, the state's public safety department is actively working to compel your attendance.

Representative Goodwin, are you concerned Texas law enforcement might come to Illinois and try to arrest I don't think that they're authorized to arrest us here in Illinois.

So I'm not too concerned about that.

representative love it like with the with the representative.

I mean, their jurisdiction is within state of Texas and, >> you know, unfortunate we've had we've been in this position before back in 2000 and 21, the same type of threats were made.

They're not things that could be made to come to fruition.

That can't be shape becoming restless.

you can the difference now is the mood is a little different.

The reach of what their we're trying to get, what they're trying to get down in Texas will ultimately affect many other states.

And I think we're trying to do here is make sure that all of the state's understand the dilemma and the dangers.

>> You some of the other threats coming from Governor Greg Abbott saying he'll remove lawmakers who left this the state from their seats.

Attorney General Ken Paxton saying today he'll pursue court rulings of, you know, that your seats are vacant.

If you're not back by Friday when they're planning to hold another attempt at session.

Representative Goodwin, what's your response to those sorts of moves?

I think that's a lot of bluster.

The voters elected us to be in office and the I don't believe that.

>> The attorney general is basing his opinion on any fact.

It's it's a.

>> Our rules say that it would take two-thirds of the legislature to kick us out and that would require some Democrats.

And we're not going to do that.

>> And do you have any concern that you might be able to find a sort of a friendly judge to declare attorney general find friendly judge to declare the seats vacant or is is that not within his purview, you know, in the world that we live in today?

I wouldn't say anything's off the table at because we have found that some judges to side.

And make interesting decisions.

But we're we're here to make sure that the world knows that what is happening.

Trump ordered Abbott to job 5 additional Republican congressional districts.

That's not the way democracy works.

And we are standing up for the people of Texas.

You're facing $500 daily fines for missing session.

Representative Lopez, what kind financial support have have you and your colleagues scene to help cover those costs?

Have have folks been stepping up?

>> Well, folks have been stepping up and offering to helping with a camper.

Want to make sure that whatever help we do get.

>> Is budget and that it is within the scope of what we can do.

Can the contributions we can get.

But I think what's even more important it.

We're getting so much support from a community not only within Texas but around the country coming us.

Thank you for doing what you're doing.

Thank you for making sure everybody understands that while it is being aimed at Texans, other states are next.

And if we don't take a stand now, this will continue to expand across this whole country.

That's part of the problem.

We know what happened in 2020 at that time President Trump called Georgia and I mean, 11,000 or so additional votes, just go get him.

he's trying to do the same thing here.

difference there is that he had the leaders in Georgia that said no.

He didn't like it, but they said no in Texas is completely different.

We've got someone in leadership that is willing to bend a knee, do whatever they needed in the state.

It's good gracious.

And that's the big difference.

Is because it's a different democratic process because it's the right thing to do.

It's because people want to be in the good graces of the federal leadership.

>> Well, you know, in addition to sort of the financial costs that, you know, the threats that you're facing, I would imagine there's, you know, kind of an impact on your family's on on your staff and the folks that are back in Texas is a fair to say.

>> Sure, it's it's probably harder for some of the other members.

My kids are ground and my husband is very supportive of what we're doing here and family as well.

But yeah, it is hard for staff.

I've heard that even DPS officers have gone into some of the members offices in the Capitol and been a little bit intimidating to our staffs, which is unfortunate to hear.

>> You to some GOP lawmakers have said this after reflects the growing number of Latinos in Texas who are voting Republican Representative Lopez.

Do you think that's a fair characterization of what's going on here?

No, it's not a fair characterization of what's going on.

What's happening is that there.

>> Crafting it has a you know, we want to be able to put it.

But Texans in a position to be able to like or where they want.

They're in the position to elect where they want.

Now, what they're doing is gerrymandering.

The patients major man during the districts.

Where the elected officials are selecting who can work for him and it shouldn't be that we should be the other way around.

>> Well, yesterday, one of your colleagues, a state representative Brian Harrison, spoke to CNN and he said Republican lawmakers are well within their rights to redraw the maps.

Here's a little bit of that interview.

>> The point is what we're talking about.

The state of Texas is something that is constitutional.

It's legal.

The Supreme Court has said we can do things like this and my main criticism of the the liberal Democrat governors in California, New York, Illinois, and other places isn't so much what the weighing in on the merits of their maps.

It's the rake hypocrisy and the fake outrage.

These Democrats, my Democrat, colleagues that fled the state to go hide behind Governor Pritzker.

They're not mad that states are engaging in redistricting to maximize partisan political advantage.

But they're mad about, but they won't say it.

They're mad that a Republican state is stepping up and doing.

That's the real problem.

That's the hypocrisy that I'm trying to point out here.

>> Representative Goodwin, you know about that.

Some folks have called on democratically controlled states like California, like Illinois, to may be redraw their maps to pick up seats in would fighting fire with fire.

Be the best strategy there?

You know, the interesting thing is that they have different roles and they have tried to be fair in California and New York.

>> California has an independent redistricting commission so they would have to work around that.

So they're law says that the commission.

Re districts right after the census is done.

But it doesn't say that they can't come back and have the legislature redraw the map.

So that's an option.

They don't want to do that.

We want to have fair elections.

We want to have fairness in our democracy.

But the thing is if we continue to see states like Texas being unfair, then they're going to match that.

Yeah, you know about that.

Representative Lopez, certainly the the map and Texas already favors Republicans would do so even more if this goes through.

>> course, states like Illinois have maps drawn in a way that you know that to favor Democrats significantly.

Do you think, you know, more independent redistricting process around the country could be a better way to go.

>> And if it is a better way to go and we can find a better way to go.

That's certainly the route we want to take.

But we do that every 10 years put this issue initiative is trying to do is do it in middle of a cycle.

And it simply is because at this point, the president's ratings are so low because of his poor policies meeting recognizes that a midterm.

You're gonna take a blood bath.

Figuratively.

They're gonna take a blood bath in count, he will lose the House of Representatives, which means he will have a tremendous amount challenge around House of Representatives challenging holding them accountable for many of things that he's doing.

He wants to avoid that.

And the only way you can avoid that, you should maintain that control, which is going to be incredibly difficult for him to do.

>> Well, mean, do you think that's necessarily what's driving it?

You know, certainly you see the, you know, the trend midterm that, you know, the party that controls the White House may have some losses in Congress.

I mean, that that could well be something that, you know, the president already understands.

>> Well, there's no question that he understands that net.

The general assumption, but because of the policy, the political climate around the policies that this president moving forward.

The numbers, the against numbers, the unfavorable numbers are just incredibly outnumbering for him and he recognizes got major problem.

So the only way just add a couple, it should be able change the dynamics around that.

He's trying to do it in a midterm redistricting at an issue which is not it's certainly not unheard of, but not the right way that we need to approach We do need approach in a better way.

We do need to have independent committees to be able to draw these matchup.

Doing it in midterm with a directive from the president to give me 5 more states is not the way to do Representative, you want to add something and it should be consistent throughout the U.S. or some states are going to do independent redistricting commissions.

That should be all states.

You know, there should be.

>> Equality and fairness separation of powers.

All the things that we believe in.

And I just feel like this president is turning things upside down.

You know, the fact that he said that he's entitled to 5 additional Republican congressional districts should say it all that nobody's entitled like.

Governor Pritzker said I guess it was can Martin who said that we as candidates have turned the vote and that's the other thing.

Candidates if they don't know what the districts are, how can they prepare to run for office?

I know there are already people lining up to run and congressional seats and they don't know what the boundaries are going to be.

Well, you know, even if you manage to block this, this current effort in the special session in, are you concerned the governor could simply?

>> Colin, other want to bring it up in a regular legislative session.

He certainly could call another special session.

And I think we expect that.

But >> my hope is that there is enough public pressure that enough people become aware of what's going on, that they pushback in such a way that the governor realizes that perhaps even his reelection in 2026, is in jeopardy.

>> You know, some critics have said that, you know, the absence of lawmakers that, you know, the lack of a quorum is blocking things like aid for residents, you know, affected by the end of the tragic deadly floods and storms recently.

Representative Lopez, what's your response we got the governor has every story right now has the budget to do it.

>> To be able to issue the orders, to go help those folks that are in desperate need.

He can do that today.

He could have done it last month.

He's chosen not to do that.

He's chosen to use the sham of that call to build that push in his political agenda.

And that is unfortunate.

But it's a case inspections.

Unfortunately.

>> And we also have the Texas Division of Emergency Management that is kind of like FEMA and they're going in and they're helping with the recovery efforts.

What we've got about 30 seconds left.

But I'd like to ask you, should this new map ultimately be approved?

>> What do you think the next steps might foresee legal action?

I think they're probably will.

Yes, I'm sure they would be legal action against and how long are you prepared to stay in Illinois?

you know yet?

All right.

Well, a lot of people will have their eyes on that.

That's all the time we've got for right now.

But Representative Vicky Goodwin, Representative Fernando Lopez, thank you both for your time.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Up next, a new fiscal headache facing Mayor Brandon Johnson R Heather Sharon has the details.

Chicago's dire financial situation just got significantly worse.

>> That's according to a Wall Street ratings agency which warned today about the impact of a new state law that will boost payments to some retired police officers and firefighters.

Let's listen to Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged that the city's pension crisis is intensifying >> you know, in my concern, of course, I am.

You know, do I believe that all hope is lost?

Know?

We have reached a point now where there's no return.

>> Our Heather Sharon joins us now with more.

So Heather, Governor, JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a bill that will change.

How much retired Chicago police officers and firefighters earn from their pensions.

Break it down for us.

So this law will do 2 One, it will ensure that Chicago firefighters and police officers don't get less when they retire than other first responders in other parts of the state.

>> The second thing it will do will make sure that those hired after 2010 don't earn retirement benefits less than what they would get if they worked for a private company and paid into Social Security that would violate federal law.

But in all this, bill alone will add 11 billion dollars to the cities already significant pension debt, which totals nearly 36 billion dollar.

Yeah, obviously had a huge mountain of debt for the city to tackle.

So.

>> Did the city asked the governor to veto the bill >> known but it wouldn't mattered if they had because it passed with an overwhelming majority through the General Assembly.

Mayor Johnson told us today he did ask the governor's office to couple it with a measure that would have allowed the city to pay for this new bill.

Now, the city has very limited ability to raise taxes on its residents.

So, for example, if the city wanted to impose a sales tax on services and not just good, it would need a change in state law that did not come along with this bill.

>> Okay.

So Wall Street ratings agency S and P they are sounding the alarm about this bill.

What are they concerned about?

Well, they're concerned about 2 things.

One, the city does not have an extra 11 billion dollars to pay into its pension funds.

But it also said that this law, which as it was crafted, is more generous than it needed to be to pass legal muster.

And since the city is in such dire financial straits, they said the city and the state should have just done the Speaking of those dire straits, the city is facing a projected 1.2 billion dollar deficit and its next budget next year.

How much is this bill going to exacerbate that budget gas?

So we're not sure yet the city has until the end of the month to release its official budget forecast for 2026.

That will do 2 things that will tell us exactly how much the city has to pay into its pension funds.

Now, before this bill passed, that Bill was going to be 2.7 billion dollars next year.

That forecast.

We'll also tell us exactly now how big that deficit actually We'll be watching for it.

I have a feeling forecast.

Might be a little stormy have Thanks so much.

Thanks, Nick.

And you can read Heather's full story on our website.

It's all at W T Tw Dot com slash news.

>> Lori can and a longtime AIDS activist and advocate for Chicago's LGBTQ community has died.

Cannon was known for her advocacy work with the Group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power or act up Chicago in the 1980's, she lost hundreds of friends during the AIDS crisis of the 80's and 90's.

When she earned the nickname AIDS Angel for her work feeding and caring for thousands of sick patients during the COVID pandemic Cannon mobilized the same network she established during the AIDS crisis.

To serve a new generation of sick and homebound residents.

His cannon featured in Wt Tw is firsthand coronavirus back in 2020.

>> I was the one that was there at the end of so many boys lives.

Where mothers just find To accept their son.

>> Who AIDS?

>> My honor, all of them.

>> It should be here today.

>> They won't be forgotten.

To work.

>> this is Larry.

And going back to the earliest darkest and deadliest days of another pandemic.

That was the AIDS epidemic.

Nobody cared.

It was the era of homophobia aides, phobia.

The LGBT community Rose responded and created direct service programs to assist a population that was being allowed to die a group of decided similar seniors getting meals on wheels.

We would do the same.

For AIDS patients in their last weeks, it would get a home cooked meal brought to their home.

>> And so started.

>> Open here in Chicago.

>> be right with, you >> over a period of delivering meals, we notice I'm not many but sound.

We're beginning to a little bit prodding.

little bit of energy.

We kept people living longer.

may be a little healthier.

changed everything.

And now with COVID-19, it's changing the world.

We didn't expect another pandemic, but we were prepared.

>> And we use the same technique.

Do what we've been doing for the last 35 years.

>> getting the goods out, wishing people wealth in trying to leave one burden >> It really deserves to eat.

>> A typical that we're delivering is fresh fruits and vegetables.

>> When people count you, you're obligated to follow through one way or another.

>> Much for us to close up shop.

would be inexcusable with the recent pandemic.

We had to come up with ways safe, helpful, which clients don't into the center likely did agree it's a hands off at the door?

We wanted to be a good experience for those 3 seconds.

I'll meet you at the door.

whole country cares about COVID-19.

Nobody cared a body to the 80's.

>> grief, the pain, the sadness we all had to bear a lot.

A generation of were almost wiped off the face of the earth.

Numbers weren't The was here.

>> We We cared and responded when no one else would.

>> the the community.

>> Supported each We took care of each other.

doing it again.

It's hard to be hopeful in the face of huge numbers of I know we'll get through this.

>> Banana bread with chocolate chips.

I hope you enjoy All right.

Now, be careful.

Getting home.

Wearing masks.

>> We might get some donated and I'm off 1, 2, >> 50 years from now.

Are people going to remember the minutes of a board meeting at a nonprofit?

I think think about a spreadsheet numbers.

I found it.

Well, service be remembered.

I believe And we feel proud to have been very small part of average salad and who knows maybe one day this sort of service will be needed.

my goal.

Closed the door.

Hang up shingle.

It fishing.

offer you some that over >> Lori Cannon died Sunday following complications from pancreatic cancer.

He was 74 for more on her remarkable life.

You can visit our website.

And that's our show for this Tuesday night.

You can stream Chicago tonight on our W T Tw YouTube Channel every evening and catch up on any programs you may have missed and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elects its first black presiding bishop.

We talk with him about his new role and hopes for the church.

Now for all of us here in Chicago tonight, I'm Nick Blumberg.

Thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed caption News me Pass by Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a personal injury law firm, working to preserve the