>> ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD WITH MIGRANTS.

TOP OF MIND, BAD WEATHER PROMPTS MAYOR JOHNSON TO SUSPEND HIS POLICY OF EVICTING MIGRANTS FROM CITY SHELTERS AFTER 60 DAYS AND A NEW INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, RAP CITY TREASURER MELISSA.

KYRA IRVING, AS YOU JUST HEARD IT WITH ALL THAT AND MORE AS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM, AMANDA VINDICATE AND HEATHER SHARON, SO EXCITED TO BE HERE AS ALWAYS.

ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD FOR THE START OF THEIR LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

HOUSE SPEAKER CHRIS WELCH HAS SAID THE MIGRANT ISSUE IS GOING TO BE TOP OF EVERYONE'S MIND MONTHS AGO.

I REMEMBER HEARING THAT THE CITY WAS KIND OF ON ITS OWN IS NOW IT'S ON THE TOP OF EVERY LAWMAKER'S MINDS.

SO DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF MORE HELP FROM SPRINGFIELD?

TOP OF MIND DOESN'T MEAN THAT ITS TOP OF THEIR TO DO LIST BY ANY MEANS.

I THINK TRIBUNE STORY THAT QUOTED THE SPEAKER ALSO >> HAD A QUOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE SENATE WHO SAID THERE REALLY ISN'T AN APPETITE RIGHT NOW FOR ANY STANDALONE APPROPRIATIONS BILL THAT WOULD HURRY AND SEND MORE FUNDING ARE WHEN WE LAST SAW THE GOVERNOR SPEAK LAST WEEK, HIS FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE OF 2024.

>> ASKED ABOUT THIS AS WELL AND REALLY SAID THAT THE ONLY PLANS HE HAS BUDGET AIRILY RIGHT NOW, ART TO BACKFILL THE 160 MILLION DOLLARS THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT UNALLOCATED.

SO THAT'S WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FIRST.

NOT NEW FUNDING, BUT JUST RESTORING THE FUNDING THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT MOSTLY TO CHICAGO.

SOME OTHER FUNDING ANNOUNCED TODAY BEING AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOW GETTING MIGRANTS.

I DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS NECESSARILY THE END, ALL BE ALL FOR 2024, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS NOT GOING AWAY, BUT THAT THAT'S ALWAYS THE FIRST >> MAYOR JOHNSON ANNOUNCED FRIDAY, THANKFULLY BECAUSE OF TEMPERATURES AT GOING TO SPEND THE 60 DAY EVICTION POLICY WHERE MIGRANTS WOULD HAVE TO FIND SOME KIND OF HOUSING AND LEAVE SHELTERS AFTER 60 OBVIOUSLY A MOVE THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON OUTSIDE.

SURE.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD MAYOR JOHNSON SAY THAT HIS FIRST PRIORITY IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE'S LIFE AND SAFETY.

>> PEOPLE WOULD HAVE DIED HAD THAT 60 DAY LIMIT BEEN ENFORCED, THAT THIS ONLY A WEEK OF REPRIEVE ON THE 22ND WHEN THE CITY OFFICIALS SAID THAT THE POLICY WOULD BE REINSTATING ITS STATED AS MANY AS 650 PEOPLE COULD BE EVICTED.

>> AND IT'S NOT CLEAR WHERE THEY WOULD GO BECAUSE THE CITY HAS SAID THAT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO OPEN ANY NEW SHELTERS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO RIGHT SIZE THE SHELTERS THAT WE HAVE.

AND AS YOU REPORTED, PARIS, THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THOSE SHELTERS AND THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO TRANSPARENT AS THEY WERE EVEN THERE THE OTHER DAY WHERE IT WAS FREEZING COLD AND SNOWING IN FOLKS WHO OUTSIDE.

>> THEY DID NOT HAVE PROPER CONDITIONS BAD IN THE SHELTERS AND OBVIOUSLY OUT OF THE SHELTERS.

>> I WANT TO ALSO DRILLING A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE SEEING THAT SCREEN, OF COURSE, IS A JOURNALIST.

WHEN YOU HAVE WHEN FILE A FOIA AND GET BACK A WHOLE BUNCH OF BLACK REDACTIONS THAT DON'T ACTUALLY SHOW YOU THE INFORMATION THAT REALLY MAKE YOUR STORY WHEN.

>> YOU GOT IT FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION'S IT WAS SURPRISE, SURPRISE AND OR NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE WE DID SEE WHAT THE WHAT WAS BEHIND THOSE REDACTIONS.

AND THIS WAS INFORMATION PERTAINING.

>> 2 CONDITIONS AT THE SHELTER SURPRISING THAT THEY WOULD REDACTED CONSIDERING THAT THEY HAVE PLEDGED TO BE VERY >> TRANSPARENT.

WE DO KNOW FROM SOME OTHER E-MAILS THAT WE LOOKED AT, THAT SOMEONE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION DID GO DOWN AND LOOK AT THE SHELTER AFTER THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE MADE.

BUT WE HAVE NO DOCUMENTATION THAT WAS AMELIORATED IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFIC COMPLAINTS AND WE KNOW THAT FOLKS HAVE FALLEN ILL AT THIS UP UNTIL THE PRESENT MOMENT.

WHEN WE WERE THERE, WE SAW AN CARTED AWAY.

AGAIN, WE WE HAVE TO STATE THOUGH.

WE DON'T KNOW IF HE'LL NURSES ARE CONNECTED TO WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE SHELTER OR WHETHER FOLKS CAME WITH THESE ILLNESSES OR FROM SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, HEATHER GOVERNOR PRITZKER SENT A LETTER TO THE TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT WHO KEEP SENDING THE BUS LOADS HERE SAYING STOP, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY, IT'S TOO COLD AND BUSES HAVE STOPPED AS THE TEXAS GOVERNOR CHANGED HIS TONE.

WELL, TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT'S OFFICE SAID THAT THEY WILL NOT STOP THE BUSES, BUT NO BUSES HAVE ARRIVED SINCE THAT EXCHANGE.

AND IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER ABBOTT DID QUIETLY STOPPED THE BUSES OR IF HE'S BEEN PREOCCUPIED WITH OTHER ISSUES.

OF COURSE.

>> 2 MIGRANTS DIED IN THE RIO GRANDE WHILE THEY WERE TRYING TO CROSS INTO AMERICA.

AND OF COURSE, TEXAS STATE PATROL OFFICERS BEEN ACCUSED OF PRESENT PREVENTING BORDER PATROL OFFICERS FROM HELPING THEM.

SO THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.

IT'S ALSO NOT CLEAR WHETHER MIGRANTS ARE WILLING TO COME TO CHICAGO AT THIS POINT KNOWING THAT THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE CONDITIONS HERE AND THE COLD WEATHER AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING WITH THE MAYOR IN SUBURBAN THERE.

BUT IT HAPPENED HOW CALM HE DID NOT.

THEY SAID THAT WAS TOO COLD TODAY.

AND I THINK THAT PERHAPS THAT WAS CERTAINLY TRUE.

BUT THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT, I THINK FOR THE MAYORS TO DISCUSS AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE HE'S AMANDA SAID IF THERE'S NO MONEY THESE MAYORS HANDS ARE REALLY TIED.

IT'S NOT LIKE THEY HAVE SECRET STASHES OF FUNDS THAT THEY CAN DIP INTO.

AND THERE'S VERY FEW SUBURBS, OAK PARK BEING ONE OF THE FEW EXCEPTIONS WERE WILLING TO TAKE THE MIGRANTS AND TO HELP THE CITY CARE FOR THEM.

IT'S NOT PUSHED BACK.

THERE'S A NEW ROUND OF GRANTS AND THAT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO MUNICIPALITIES THROUGH THIS ORGANIZATION THAT.

>> WITH THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION HAD PLANNED THIS MEETING TODAY AND YOU SAW A LOT OF PUSHBACK WAS PRETTY THING.

NO, WE DON'T WANT THE MONEY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION.

UNCLEAR HOW MANY COMMUNITIES WILL COMPETE FOR THOSE DOLLARS ARE RIGHT NOW.

THE PLAN IS I THINK PRETTY MUCH SEND HIM TO AND CHICAGO, AS WE'VE SEEN OF PLANS ARE IMPERFECT TO SAY THE AND OTHERS OTHER.

>> UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN SPRINGFIELD EVER LATER.

THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SET FIRST EVER ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD.

I MEAN, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TIME HERE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THAT.

NOEMI THE ELECTION IS IN NOVEMBER FOR THIS FIRST OPEN ELECTION ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD.

WHAT HAS TO BE DECIDE THIS?

>> HOW THAT ELECTION IS GOING TO WORK AND REALLY THE BIG FIGHT RIGHT NOW IS WILL IT FOR HALF OF THE SPOTS OF THIS 20 MEMBER WILL EVENTUALLY BE ALL THAT THE BOARD OR WILL THE BOARD FULLY ELECTED FROM THE FRONT?

YOU SORT OF SEEING A ROLE REVERSAL CTU HAVE LONG CLAMORED FOR WE WANTED TO BE ALL ELECTED.

>> LO AND BEHOLD, NOW THEY SAY IT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO ORGANIZE.

BUT A LOT OF FOLKS SAYING, OH, WAIT, NOW THAT THE MEMBER OF YOUR UNION IN LEADERSHIP IS THE MAYOR.

YOU'RE WANTING TO PRESERVE THE ABILITY FOR THE MAYOR TO KEEP 10 OF THOSE SPOTS OF THAT IS THE KEY QUESTION WILL BE CITED AND SOMETHING THAT LEGISLATORS DO HAVE TO DO ACTUALLY EARLIER IN THEIR SESSION ACTUALLY HAVE A DEADLINE ON ACTUALLY DO.

ALL RIGHT, AMANDA HEATHER, SHARON, INSIGHTFUL ENTERTAINING, AS ALWAYS, THANKS VERY MUCH.