I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> I'm not the sea to you.

I'm the mayor of the greatest freakin city in the world.

>> A shakeup in Chicago, public schools, budget woes and battles and city Council Mayor Johnson joins us in studio to discuss it all.

And efforts to improve the Chicago area's public transportation systems and attract more riders.

>> First off tonight, next month's Chicago voters will cast their ballot for the first time for members of the city's school board for decades.

The seven-member board has been appointed by the mayor.

Voters will now pick members in 10 districts in the mayor will pick 11 as the board triples in size to 21 members.

All 7 members of the current board resigned Friday.

And yesterday the mayor named 6 replacements at a rather fiery news conference.

>> I help you asked me the question if I believe that we should invest in our children and make sure we don't.

Leon Brown, the black women.

Yes.

I'm not going to tolerate cuts.

That's what the issue has been in this city.

You know what?

I'm better question would be what are you willing to do with your power to ensure that a school district that stuff black children in Willis wagons?

What you should be asking me is what do you want to do when you had a district that have black women?

You should be asking me what am I prepared and willing to do to ensure that our children get the education that they deserve.

>> Anything necessary.

>> And joining us now is Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Fiery indeed.

We're going to come back to that press conference in a little bit.

Thank you for joining us.

Thanks for having So some of this upheaval at CPS, it has alarmed some parents who worry that this may be causing leaders to focus not on educating their children, but to keeping their jobs focusing on keeping their jobs.

Amid all of this tumult u, of course, your CPS, parent as well.

Are you worried about any of this turmoil that we've been witnessing being felt in the classroom as well.

>> Well, listen, you know, 330,000 children showed up in our schools today over 40,000 people.

Welcome them.

My children included because of the first mayor, the history Chicago to actually send their children to the Chicago Public schools and everything went well today.

Does the district have to do better and responding to the demands that black and brown parents have had and working people in this city for a very long time demands of class sizes that are manageable, smaller social workers and counselors, libraries and librarians extracurricular activities like sports and recreation, creating opportunities so that our young people came to explore careers in the trades, of course, they should be concerned about that.

And so am I.

And that's why I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to invest in our children as someone who has been a public school teacher, the first man, the history of Chicago to send their children the Chicago public to call the public schools.

The parents of this city elected one of their own.

I'm gonna do everything in our power to ensure that we don't go back to a time of chaos.

Kay also school closures, chaos, chaos of privatization, chaos of privatization.

That type of disruption ended once I got elected at same are there is a lot going on, right?

There is an elected school board or elections for a school board happening for the first time in the city's history.

Coming up, we know that the district still negotiating.

The Chicago teachers Union contract last time they were negotiating a contract.

They have another strike and there have been there's been talk about whether or not the current CEO, Pedro Martinez, will be keeping his job.

>> All of that, maybe that is not chaos, but it is a lot for the district to be managing it.

One time does does that not?

Do you not feel like all of this can so some instability.

>> Well, what has sold instability has been the chaos of previous administrations who didn't pay into our retirement system.

And so we have an underfunded pension system that was created by previous administrations when he decided to take all those dollars and given tours corporations, had chaos again will be close.

Schools down 50 all at once.

We've had chaos when public assets have been privatized.

I'm the only mayor in the history of Chicago who made a commitment to an elected school board and saw it through.

That's called Democracy.

That's a good thing.

That's what the people of Chicago actually voted for.

And that's what I support.

But they also support.

He's me fully investing in our children.

That's what's most important in this moment.

Is that as a parent?

Aroldis, we live on the West Side.

We have to travel to the south side of Chicago because there was not a neighborhood school or opportunity for my son to have a school that as workers, And AP and honors courses as well as sports and recreation.

These are the problems that we've had in our school just for a very long time.

And we can no longer afford to wait.

Prentice, look, I'm going to do everything in my power to fight for the interests of the people of this city.

That's what they elected me to do.

And that's what I'm doing.

That said you, as we mentioned, you've pointed 6 new board members just or >> but could all of this and then some of those folks, they are the names that we see on the screen right here.

>> Could all of this, though, could it further confusion about a race that voters might already be a bit confused about because the elected school board is a bit complicated.

Do you think voters are going to be confused when they have to go to vote on this month?

>> No, I have complete confidence that the people Chicago and know that we have elections November 5th, first of all, with the make sure we elected Vice President Kamala Harris and another social studies.

Teacher governor was right.

And they're going for the first voting on.

So we encourage parents to do what I promised.

We would have, which is an elected representative school board member of the only mayor, the history of this city to actually support when we have one.

So parents get to go out and vote.

But here's the thing that parents to understand, know, that ice to have the power to appoint board members because we have 2 options here.

My vision to invest in schools or the vision to this.

That is cool, which is to cut.

I've been in those classrooms as a public school teacher when those cuts came down and the despair and hopelessness that ensues the chaos that comes with that type of instability.

We're not going backwards and going forward.

that's what these appointments and these nominees represent.

You do have, of course, the power to make these appointments.

But why point these new members now rather than wait until the election?

We've got more information and you've seen what the voters undecided.

>> Because we can't continue to wait.

For transformation in the school district.

Parents have been waiting for transformation in this school district for decades.

Once upon a time black children was stuffed in Willis wagons because the school district refused to invest in them once upon a time, you know, we had black teachers in particular, black women overwhelmingly have been laid off.

That's what's being proposed right now.

The people who oppose my vision, the vision to the people of Chicago voted for they want to take us back to cuts and closures and privatization.

That's all they're calling for.

The reason whether or not talking a lot with their plan is because they want to take us backwards.

That ended one I got elected.

We're going invest to ensure that every single school as social workers, counselors, behavior, health and mental health counselors, many of our children are suffering from deep, deep trauma and we don't have a school district right now that is responding to those those needs.

I'm gonna respond to those needs.

We're going to transform the school district once and for all.

And of course, that transformation, it costs money.

Mom I want come back to funding it obviously in a little bit.

But the CBS board has the power to terminate Pedro Martinez either immediately or in 6 months because of his Did you replace the board?

Because this sitting board refused to terminate Martinez.

>> I replace this board because this is a transition period.

>> I'm going to shepherd calmness and stability as we move towards for the first time in history Chicago, at least partially elected representative school board.

That is my responsibility as a leader to provide stability and certainty.

And so this board we've had younger.

I appreciate their their work.

With this new board.

We were able to ensure that we went towards evidence base, but it so that we would fund schools based on needs and not on the PRE people bases with this board that we were able to take my transition report from my campaign.

Turn it into a five-year strategic plan.

To ensure that the vision to people of Chicago Halford for our public schools actually comes to fruition.

What this next iteration the board members, what they will do is that they will help transition us into a hybrid elected school board.

And that was the that was remain on.

Some of them might write.

It just depends on the outcome of the election.

>> But I can tell you one thing, I am not going to wait and take a passive approach.

Towards transforming our public school system.

The cuts have been severe in this district.

Well, we have unemployment, particularly with in the West and South sides of Chicago that has reached great Depression-era numbers.

not going back to that era.

We're we close schools and parents.

don't know if their school is actually going to be funded, you know, and in.

So here's the important thing to note here.

The people, Chicago elected one of their own parent.

I know exactly what parents are dealing with right now.

They're tired of having to negotiate with school district that doesn't promise them or give them guaranteed access to a fully funded education system.

I'm working hard and overtime to give parents in this city what they ultimately dessert.

And that's a fully funded.

Education says, of course it but simply replacing board does not in itself, of course, fund the initiatives that you would like to see the district have.

Are you expecting that the school board?

>> Will approve loans to first of all bridge, the district's budget gap and also the needs of whatever comes of the CTU contract.

Look.

There's 2 visions.

For public schools.

It's cuts.

We've already seen the disaster that that right.

We've already seen that.

Where parents are begging desperately for the city of Chicago to believe in their children or we can invest in our children.

And if faced with a decision.

To take away from families in this city.

First, he's having to keep an option on the table.

We might have to borrow some money to help connect us to to to the full transformation.

I know what decision I'm going to make.

I'm gonna make sure we invest in children and invest in the times of the city.

I'm not going to cut and take away.

Layoff fire privatized so that other people can benefit and the people of the city of Chicago continue to lose, not under my watch yesterday.

Mayor, you had a visit with the press.

A lot was we played a clip of that earlier.

>> If one of the things you said, especially it sounds like you've been withholding some anger and frustration a little bit since you've gotten into office.

Do you feel like you've been treated differently than previous Well, you know, eyewitnesses of the characterize it as anger.

>> You know, I believe in into I believe I bring it intellect to this conversation that has been long overdue and, you know, I'm grateful that the people of Chicago interested me with with with their hopes and aspirations and their dreams.

You know, look, I can tell you this.

Every other prior to me.

Has had this same authority.

I cannot recall a time and which you've had.

People question the authority that I had that is given to me.

By the people of this city.

Now, I don't know why dating mating question previous administrations when they decided not to pay into the pensions.

I don't know why question the ministrations when they sold off parking meters and so do Skyway, schools.

I don't know whether in question them, but here's one thing that I will say that we should never question.

>> My conviction.

>> And my >> to ensure that every single child in this city, a district that is 90%.

>> Children of color, brown and black finally get a chance to realize the hopes and aspirations of our ancestors, public education at the expense of the state, particularly in the South.

After all, is a idea.

Those are the words of boys, education and of itself, public assets, whether it's education, housing, health care, jobs, transportation.

These are the hopes and dreams of the people have been marginalized for decades in this city.

We are not going back to a time in which the marginalized remain and it's something have to apologize for actually investing in people.

I'm not going to apologize for care, not the vision that the people Chicago interest to me was.

So this is something that you mentioned yesterday.

You said that those who oppose a proposal to borrow money to fill the schools.

Budget are echoing arguments made by Southerners who oppose the abolition >> of slavery.

Here's actually a look at that yesterday.

The so-called.

>> Fiscally responsible stewards.

I'm making the same argument.

What are people want to be liberated in immense up in this country?

The argument was you can free black people because it would be too >> They said that it would be fiscally irresponsible for this country to liberate black people.

And now you have detractors making the same argument of the Confederacy when it comes to public education in this system.

>> Of course, a strong comparison to make their mayor.

Do you think that that that makes it more difficult to to reach a compromise or find common ground.

What's the compromise?

Here's what asking the people of Chicago to consider.

To cut and disrupt and destroy a very fragile school district.

That's what they're proposing.

They're not saying it out loud, but they say that we can lay off brown and black women that we don't have to have libraries and librarians that we don't have social workers and counselors that we don't have to have opportunities for individuals to experience of the trades.

I brought 20 billion dollars in new investments in to the city.

I want to make sure that we have a work force that's prepared dig and build on the investments and abroad city colleges, for instance, a 48% increase in enrollment.

A 48% increase across the the district.

city colleges, the number one subgroup of individuals that are rolling and city colleges.

It's black young men.

And so the reason I'm saying that brand because I'm responsible for the education system from Pre-K all the way up through a community colleges and we are investing in our community colleges to ensure that our children have an opportunity to have an advancement opportunities progress and are I know it because we're almost out of time.

want to get to one more thing because City council, they're discussing your new board of education picks.

special meeting tomorrow.

>> How would you describe your relationship with alderman right now in about 45 seconds?

Well, you look, they have a job that they have to do and again, that they're well within prerogative.

But keep in mind that the state law gives me the authority to do what every other mayor has done prior to me.

And as I was saying with our community colleges, we have to make sure that the trades as well as arts, a fully funded education system is actually realize we're not going backwards.

I'm going to transform the school district as a parent as a teacher and is now mayor the greatest city in the world.

I've been given the mandate to do what other Ministrations refused to do.

And that's actually put our families first that that is where we'll have to leave it Brandon Johnson, thank you so much for joining us.

Appreciate it.

You're welcome.

Thanks for having me.

Up next, Nick Bromberg on efforts to merge the area's public transit agencies.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part by the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The gym and K maybe family.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donors.

>> With the Chicago area's transit agencies facing down a 730 million dollar fiscal cliff.

State lawmakers have been working on a plan to preserve and improve public transportation.

Perhaps the boldest idea is the pitch to do away with CTA, Metra Pace and the RTA creating an entirely new Metropolitan Mobility Authority for the last several months.

The Senate Transportation committees held a series of hearings on public transit and how governance reforms a new funding could chart a new course for Chicago land.

Joining us to talk more about that are state Sen around believe of Chicago chair of the Transportation Committee and state Senator Don T with of Saint Charles Minority spokesperson for the Transportation Committee.

Thank you both for joining me.

Appreciated.

Thank you for having So this process got started with a report from the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.

They laid out some potential paths for reform.

Senator Avila fallen.

You are among the lawmakers who floated a bill this spring that would combine, as we mentioned, CTA, Metra and pace.

Why is that an idea?

You think it's worth considering?

>> Well, given the magnitude of the situation we're in, we must reassess this 40 plus year.

Programmer system that's been in place.

4 different agencies.

21 different pointing authorities.

47 different appointments between RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace.

We are talking about a system that we need for the future out for that system.

That is unprecedented.

So we need to ensure that this new system with this new funding, he's accountable and transparent.

And that's why this is the moment to have that conversation.

>> As you both know, hard better than I A CT a Metra pace, RTA.

They've all been pretty vehemently opposed to the idea of the sort of major governance reforms senator do with have the transit agency's meaningfully been engaging with the work that your committee and other lawmakers have been Absolutely.

Representatives of all the service boards have been regular attendees at virtually all of the public hearings.

We've been holding.

>> On a county by county basis, which I think has been a great move to make sure everybody is hurt.

Everybody has their input as you can imagine, my suburban mayors and even a number of county board chairman are all very concerned about the elimination of their current involvement within that 3 service board process, the CTA, Metra and Pace.

I think we can all agree that the RTA or the MMA as it may be called.

Eventually does have to have control over all 3 of those service boards who up until this point of all operated almost in a silo.

The RTA has only been involved in long-term financing and long-term planning.

Our mayors and county board chairman and the servers want to be sure by maintaining the service port structure.

They will continue to have input into how their revenues that they are generating in the suburbs and the 5 collar counties are used well, and you mentioned the RTA.

They've pitch some, you know, more modest ideas governance changes, more regional coordination for service.

>> For fair policy, for capital projects.

Do you think that, you know, the proposal they've put out there goes far enough?

>> That still is remains to be seen.

You know, as senator mentioned, we've done 5 committee hearings to over 21 hours of testimony throughout the RTA region next week.

We're doing here Springfield to discuss downstate Public Transit needs.

And I think through these hearings, one piece is clear.

There's a consensus that we need a robust public transit system that's good for our economy.

Our public health, mitigate climate impact.

It's good for our quality of life.

And so there's a lot of contests around that.

I think there's also consensus on some of the issues.

Will you laid out weather?

It's talking about the fact that CTA and pace right now to separate procurements making one agency the regional agency have the 40 for Capital Project prioritization at the end of the day, we need a central agency that is going to address safety, reliability, accessibility for the entire region.

And that is what is lacking right now.

And before we take any vote on funding, we need to see from the agencies.

service improvements and expansions will occur and how will they be implemented and how can we hold them accountable for all of that?

>> Yeah, I mean, the transit boards have been making the case for increased funding.

And they've also said that these kinds of government's reforms aren't necessarily going to create this sort of cost savings that that folks hope they will.

You know, Senator, do it.

Do you think there is an appetite for increased funding without the sorts of reforms in Springfield?

Well, I think you have to define what reforms really means what the ironies in this whole process I see, I think is that we all pretty much agree that there needs to be one agency in charge of all 3 of those different service port.

But the service boards a vital from the standpoint that, for instance, Metro and CTA are both in the train business, but they run very different business models, CTA and pace, suburban bus service are both in the bus business, but their very different business models and how they operate.

I think having and over.

over control.

An MMA that oversees all 3 of those agencies is something we pretty much all agree on.

And most of the people we've talked to agree on, of course, but again, it's going to have to be a continued conversation a much longer conversation with the individual service boards.

If the MMA comes into play.

How do each of the service boards and tend to coordinate the services between the 3 of them as we agree to really come up with a regional system.

We're all through service portal working together, course, a key part of the, you know, discussion here is also this idea of perhaps up to a billion and a half dollars of new revenue.

Senator Avila fallen.

Have you started thinking about potential sources for that revenue or is that a little ways off?

I think it's still to be determined.

First and foremost, we're still in the process.

>> Of having care committee hearings and having conversations with the agencies about what level of service will be achieved with what level of funding right?

And that's something very important to note.

The 730 million dollar figure is just too get the service that we have today.

If you talk with the writers write every day, whether it's pace, mattress Eta, they want to see improvement.

They want to see expansions.

We also need to be planning not just to plug a hole for next year.

For 3 decades from now for 2050, where my kids and everybody else kids are going to use the system to get to their job, their school, their hospital in a more interconnected way.

>> You mentioned you're wrapping up the series of hearings.

There's also the working group in the House.

We've got about 30 seconds left.

But Senator, do it.

You have any idea of a timeline for the next steps here?

>> Well, I think the revenue discussion is probably going to be a little bit longer conversation and perhaps the governance conversations that we'd be have we've been having through this public service public hearing process.

>> And I I really don't think we're going to be able to see any legitimate movement currently filed legislation probably till the 25 session.

The speaker, Speaker Welch has already said he doesn't anticipate any action in the House in 2024.

Oviedo session or lame duck session for that matter.

I think slow and steady and this conversation will make a lot more sense.

Moving forward will certainly much more to talk about.

And we look forward to hearing more from you, but thank you both.

The Senate Sen around Love Island with thank you.

Thank you.

And we're back to wrap things up right after this.

>> And that's our show for this Tuesday night.

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Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight and Brands.

Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

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