>> Michael Madigan has decided to testify in his own corruption trial.

Meanwhile, 10's contract negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public schools and a stalled Bill reveals a rocky relationship between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Governor JB Pritzker.

Here with all that and more is, of course, our spotlight politics team Amanda Vicki, Heather, Sharon and Nick Blumberg.

Welcome back.

Team.

Hello.

Happy New Year.

so as we heard Michael Madigan.

Testifying today in his own corruption trial of but there are some deliberation beforehand.

Heather, what was that discussion?

Well, I don't think anybody really expected Michael Madigan to get up on the stand and start testifying.

This is a man who is famously very sort of closed sort of he keeps himself to himself so to speak.

>> Now because this was so unexpected there, isn't that an issue out there?

The government wants 2.8 million dollars from that again, essentially want him to forfeit the profits of what they say is massive criminal conspiracy.

Now it's a little bit of a tricky law question, right?

is Madigan agrees to sort waived his right to not testify in his criminal case.

Does he also waived that right in the forfeiture case, income that, you know, judge or the jury in that case hold that against him.

The judge eventually said, you know what, we're not gonna make any ruling one where the other will just move forward will put a pause on that.

But I think that gives you a sense of just how unusual it is for a defendant in this kind of case to get up on the stand.

And I think I personally was shocked to hear it sort of start with the recitation of his hardscrabble upbringing on Chicago's Southwest side and he's dead problems with alcohol and anger and sort you know, sort of the pressure he faced serve, working his way and, you know, hit the help he got from his good friend for By way, do that us.

Amanda, what might the defense be trying to show by putting Madigan on the stand?

I mean, I think some of what Heather just indicated there in terms of his difficulties growing up and what he achieved Ryan contrasts, they're making him more really double.

You've heard so much about his being a vaunted, powerful guy really in the state capitol in all of Illinois.

Politics and this sort of puts it in perspective and tries to, I think humanize him some.

You also heard him with the flat out tonight.

Many of these allegations which might raise suspicion.

Remember, he only really has to convince one juror in so get out there.

It's perhaps something that they're saying is worth a shot.

>> This is a man who, yes, despite his testifying that he is conflict Avoidant is clearly somebody who has seen more than his fair share of conflicts, waited through them, dealt with them.

>> Gone before some theory, powerful and important figures in his lifetime didn't get to rise to be the speaker of the Illinois House and head of the Democratic Party and less he was willing to take some risks.

And so he's taking another big gamble here.

Certainly not by being any a shrinking violet.

Nick, is this unusual for someone in Madigan's position to take the stand?

Yes, I mean it.

You know, it is as a man is that it's an incredible risk.

And clearly this is someone who is, you know, conflict avoidance, at least in public behind the scenes.

He, you know, was widely regarded as basically a master chess player when it came to.

>> You know, legislative and political strategy.

So clearly they think this is not the kind of decision that's going to be entered into lightly.

It's a huge risk for Madigan and his defense team to open him up to prosecutors to allow him.

>> A cross-examination now we did the so-called ComEd for corruption trial that preceded this case.

We saw 2 of the defendants testify on their own behalf and later get convicted.

You know, if you look back to 2011, former Governor Rod Blagojevich testified on his own behalf.

Also convicted.

Certainly that's not necessarily a fully representative sample.

But, you know, it demonstrates the fact that folks who think they can get up there and maybe persuade just one juror with their argumentative powers, it's a real gap in it.

And each of those cases, the we don't know.

I haven't spoken with Madigan about this.

We have had his public statements.

>> And of course, his plate he really I think believes he did not break the law or do anything wrong as it.

Some of the individuals that you just indicated there.

So that's that's a factor.

Yep.

you know, so that that you know, feeling that they have about this, that motivate some of this So Chicago Teachers Union negotiations continuing.

Nic, what is the latest?

They are still at an impasse.

The CTU is still out here.

You know, arguing that CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.

>> We'll be back in court on Thursday.

You know, in this matter of whether or not he should be the one leading the district solely a United of these negotiations.

You know, they really see him as blocking the way toward a contract agreement.

We heard in yesterday CTU, President Stacy Davis, you know, we've created the conditions for them to say yes, there are still big sticking point with some of the noneconomic issues.

Keep things like teacher evaluations like prep time, you know, and they're also saying, listen, this is this is a matter that we need to settle before President Trump takes office.

They hope to do it before the end of last year.

Obviously, as we all know, that did not happen.

But they are really still stuck on this negotiation.

We are set to get an update from the CTU at 6 o'clock tonight.

So just a little while from Mayor Johnson joins us yesterday on Monday where he defended the decision to that the board made to fire CPS CEO Peter Martinez.

He also rejected the idea that he's working.

>> On the behalf of of CTU, Heather, What what is he said about this I was really struck by sort of his position being completely in line with CTU on these contract proposals.

>> And what's interesting is that why isn't there a deal Right the mayor and the the you know, union are in alignment.

What you know what?

What is holding it up?

Why are there starting to be whispering?

It's about teach ins and labor actions.

And I think that part of that we don't know what's going on behind those closed stores.

But the fact of the matter is, is there's not a pot of money to cover these contract, you know, costs and it's going to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

You know, maybe tens of millions of dollars.

But it is a really strange place for Chicago politics to be in.

And I don't think anybody is really quite sure what to make of it and sort of what the sticking point is now not it's clear that he, too sees sort of Pedro Martinez is sort of the big, bad guy right there, sort of casting him as the impediments here.

The board has the right to approve the contract.

They're not partisan, allowed to participate directly in those negotiations.

Now, will that change after the this week's court hearing will have to see.

Yeah, but if there is perhaps some, you know, some daylight between Mayor Johnson and the CTU.

>> You know, this could be an instance of Mayor Johnson coming from, you know, outside of city government obviously had experience on the county board.

But a lot of time as an organizer.

Now he is working as an elected official and he sees what it's like on the other side.

You know, we heard Stacy Davis Gates yesterday saying, you know, we're not the 5th floor of City Hall were not the mayor's office.

Don't look to us and assume that we are automatically in line with another.

Okay.

So a bill to regulate hemp products, though Governor Pritzker has backed this bill stalled in Springfield them and remind us what this legislation is looking to Something this is not new.

This is stalled truly years.

There has been an ongoing discussion about how to deal with these intoxicating kept Prague products, which are in a sort of legal gray area.

And there's near universal agreement that something has to be done, that there should be regulation is just a matter of how far to go.

>> The legislation that the governor has embraced it is, by the way, dead new General Assembly will be inaugurated tomorrow.

So there's no chance of having a revival, at least anytime in the near future.

It essentially some of these businesses say put them out of business completely.

And so that's where you're seeing some pushback.

So Governor Pritzker that he did weigh in on his relationship with the mayor today.

Here's a bit of what he said.

>> They don't reach out very often and it seems like they don't have good relationships in Springfield.

In part because they don't do the outreach that's necessary.

Maybe.

Time that he's been mayor.

He's called me perhaps 5 times.

>> What's prompting this kind of reaction?

Yeah.

How was not an off the cuff statement.

I mean, the governor certainly intended to make those remarks.

And this is I think not necessarily surprising there is been recognize that Johnson is not beloved in Springfield, doesn't have those connections.

He's had turnover within his office.

But for the governor to say it so blatantly when typically you just kind of have them say.

>> we get along.

We try I think it is frustration that you had Johnson at the very last minute.

Enter.

>> These negotiations Pritzker went on to say that he does not believe that the mayor should take responsibility for felling.

That legislation.

As I noted, there is some true.

>> Back and forth at the heart of the matter.

But he's inserting himself last minute, not appreciated by the governor's office.

This is most certainly a power play in I think portends some rough things ahead.

Is negotiations come forward?

The mayor has a lot of tasks at a Springfield in Springfield facing its own budget woes.

Yes, some of those asked he discussed last