>>> GOVERNOR J.B. PRITZKER SIGNS OFF ON THE NEW STATE BUDGET, BUT NOT ALL OF IT.

MEANWHILE, MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON TALKS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF KEEPING THE CHICAGO BEARS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS , AND RISING EXPECTATIONS THAT THE NEW MAYOR WILL DO MORE TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INEQUITY.

HEREWITH ALL THAT AND MORE, OF COURSE, IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS TEAM, HEATHER CHERONE, AMANDA VENEDY, AND PARIS SCHUTZ.

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON WAS ASKED WHAT HIS ADMINISTRATION IS DOING TO KEEP THE BEARS IN THE CITY.

NOW THAT THEY APPEAR TO HAVE RESERVATIONS OVER THAT ARLINGTON HEIGHTS DEAL.

HERE'S A LITTLE OF WHAT HE SAID.

>> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CHICAGO BEARS , THE PARK DISTRICT, AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAVE A REAL SEAT AT THE TABLE TO DISCUSS A PATHWAY FORWARD.

I GREW UP WITH THE SUPER BOWL SHUFFLE .

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP SHUFFLING HERE IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO WITH THE BEARS.

>> SHUFFLING.

THE MAYOR AND CHICAGO BEARS CEO, KEVIN MOORE, OF COURSE, THEY MET OUT TODAY AND PUT OUT A JOINT STATEMENT THIS AFTERNOON.

IS A BIT OF WHAT WAS SAID.

QUOTE, TODAY WE MET AND DISCUSSED OUR SHARED VALUES AND COMMITMENT TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GROUP, AND THE NEED FOR EQUITABLE COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

WE'RE BOTH COMMITTED TO THE IDEA THAT THE CITY AND ITS MAJOR CIVIC INSTITUTIONS MUST GROW AND EVOLVE TOGETHER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE FUTURE BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DIALOGUE AROUND THESE SHARED VALUES.

WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT STATEMENT IN A MINUTE, BUT FIRST, AMANDA, YOU ARE REPORTING ON THAT EARLIER THIS WEEK.

IS THERE ANY REAL BELIEF THAT THERE'S A DEAL THAT THE CITY COULD PUT TOGETHER THAT WOULD SWAY THE BEARS TO STAY?

>> I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE THAT INSTEAD OF SHUFFLING IN CHICAGO, THEY WILL BE SHUFFLING THROUGH.

I MEAN, THEY'RE REALLY PRETTY DEEP INTO ARLINGTON HEIGHTS.

AND THE NOTION THAT IT WILL GO TO ANY OTHER COMMUNITY, BE IT CHICAGO, NAPERVILLE, WHEREVER ELSE, IS PRETTY TOUGH TO SWALLOW, GIVEN JUST HOW MUCH THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTED IN THIS ARLINGTON HEIGHTS PROPERTY, AND AS WAS NOTED EARLIER BY THE MAYOR OF ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IT AND JUST SALIVATING OVER THIS AREA FOR LITERALLY DECADES.

SO IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT THIS IS ANYTHING BUT LUSTER, AND REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET MAYBE THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SUCH ON THEIR SIDE.

IT DOES, HOWEVER, CERTAINLY PRESENT AN OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, FOR MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON TO AT LEAST MAKE THE EFFORT.

YOU NEVER KNOW.

I'M NOT PRIVY TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

BUT THAT HELP THEM, I THINK, PUBLICLY.

>> HEATHER, THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THAT REPORTERS HAVE GOTTEN A STATEMENT THAT HASN'T SAID MUCH AT ALL.

DO YOU THINK WE CAN READ INTO -- WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THEM.

DO YOU THINK WE CAN READ ANYTHING INTO THE STATEMENT?

>> IT DOESN'T TELL US REALLY ANYTHING, YOU'RE RIGHT.

BUT IT DOES SIGNAL THAT AT LEAST THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION ARE OPEN BETWEEN THE BEARS AND MAYOR JOHNSON IN A WAY THAT THEY WERE NOT OPEN BETWEEN FORMER MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT AND THE BEARS.

SHE REALLY LOST A LOT OF GOODWILL WITH THE TEAMS WHEN THEY FIRST SORT OF FLOATED THIS IDEA OF GOING TO ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, AND SHE SAID, THAT'S NICE, WHY DON'T YOU FOCUS ON BEATING THE PACKERS AND WINNING SOME GAMES, WHICH WAS NOT TRULY APPRECIATED.

BUT I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT BRANDON JOHNSON IS GOING TO TAKE A MORE CONCILIATORY APPROACH.

I THINK THAT IF THE BEARS WOULD STAY IN CHICAGO, IT'S MORE LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD GO SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN SOLDIER FIELD, THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO OWN SOLDIER FIELD.

THEY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PUT A DOME OVER SOLDIER FIELD, DESPITE PLANS RELEASED BY MAYOR LIGHTFOOT WOULD DO THAT.

BUT THE ISSUE IS HERE, REALLY, THAT THE STATE OWES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON THE RENOVATION OF SOLDIER FIELD.

THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE STATE TO GIVE THE BEARS MORE MONEY , WHETHER THEY GO TO NAPERVILLE OR ROCKFORD OR MY BACKYARD.

>> OH, YOUR BACKYARD!

PARIS, OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW YOU'RE A FAN.

DO YOU THINK THE BEARS CAN BE PERSUADED TO STAY, AND WHEN A NEW STADIUM HAD TO BE PART OF THE DEAL IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO DO THAT?

>> A NEW STADIUM WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO BE PART OF THE DEAL.

THEY'RE DONE WITH SOLDIER FIELD, AS HEATHER MENTIONED.

THEY WANT A BIG PIECE OF LAND WHERE THEY CAN BUILD THEIR FUN PARK AND THE SIX FLAGS OVER THE BEARS DOME.

AND THERE ARE PARCELS IN CHICAGO THAT PROVIDE THAT AMOUNT OF SPACE, BUT AS AMANDA MENTIONED, THEY'VE ALREADY INVESTED THE MONEY IN ARLINGTON PARK.

ALL THAT HAD TO DO REALLY, THERE, IS TURN AROUND AND SELL IT.

THEY HAVE TO BUY -- IF THEY CAN DO THAT, YES, THE CITY OF CHICAGO DEFINITELY HAS A SPOT.

AND THEN THIS WOULD BE POLITICALLY DIFFICULT FOR BRANDON JOHNSON.

IT WOULD BE A MAJOR NOTCH IN HIS BELT IF HE WAS THE MAYOR THAT SAVE THE BEARS IN CHICAGO, BUT HE WAS ELECTED ON THE PROMISE TO INVEST IN COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN THIS INVESTED IN.

IT'S NOT GOING TO LOOK GOOD IF HE IS GIVING TAX BREAKS OR SOMETHING TO A BIG, GIANT, WEALTHY CORPORATION INSTEAD OF MONEY GOING TO COMMUNITIES.

BUT THERE'S STILL A WAY.

WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY.

THERE CAN BE A WIN-WIN.

YOU CAN COME UP WITH A PACKAGE FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, UP THE MINORITY CONTRACTORS ON THE CONSTRUCTION JOBS, OR YOU HIGHER CHICAGOANS FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEY GOT TO BE CREATIVE.

THERE IS A WIN-WIN OUT THERE.

IT'S VERY UNLIKELY, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE.

>> HOPE IT INCLUDES THE BEARS WINNING SOME GAMES.

HEATHER, YOU WERE AT THE NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY, THOUGH, WITH THE MAYOR, AND ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WOULD BACK AN ORDINANCE ALLOWING THE CITY COUNCIL TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF POLLUTING INDUSTRIES ON PARTICULAR CHICAGO COMMUNITIES.

HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> SO WE WILL BE EXPLORING ALL OF THE OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO US IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS AND THE DEMAND OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND THE RESIDENTS .

AND AS MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW, I'M RAISING MY FAMILY IN AUSTIN.

WE ARE ONE OF THE HOTSPOTS WHEN IT COMES TO ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO EXPLORE ALL OF OUR OPTIONS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE OF CHICAGO PRINT >> HEATHER, CAN THE MAYOR LIVE UP TO THE EXPECTATIONS OF FOLKS WHO EXPECT THEM TO DO MORE TO PROTECT US COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING ENVIRONMENTAL INEQUITY?

>> IT WILL BE NO SMALL TASK.

IT GOT A LITTLE BIT HARDER WITH THIS WEEK WITH THE NEWS THAT ADMINISTRATIVE HAS SAID THAT BASICALLY THE CITY SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A PERMIT FOR THE WARMER OWNERS OF GENERAL IRON TO OPEN UP THE NEW METAL SCRAP AROUND SOUTHEAST SIDE.

THAT MEANS THAT BRANDON JOHNSON IS GOING TO BE EXPECTED BY HIS PROGRESSIVE BASE TO DELIVER ON HIS PROMISES OF ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, AND ONE WAY TO DO THIS IS BY PUSHING THROUGH THAT ORDINANCE TO THE CITY COUNCIL.

HE DECLINED TO FULLY COMMIT TO DOING THAT, AS YOU JUST HEARD.

>> AMANDA, LET'S GET TO STATE POLITICS BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO.

GOVERNOR SIGNED MOST OF THE NEW STATE BUDGET, BUT HE USED THAT VITO PALIN TO MAKE SOME CUTS.

>> HE WAS ABLE TO REDUCE CERTAIN ITEMS.

WHAT HE DID WAS HE ERASED RELIEF BY $200,000.

SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT -- BUT, BUT -- WHAT HE SAID IS IT REDUCES THE RAISE THAT LEGISLATORS AND CONSTITUTIONAL ARE GOING TO GET.

THEY'RE STILL GOING TO GET MORE MONEY.

IT'S JUST 5% MORE INSTEAD OF 5.5% MORE, BECAUSE THERE WERE QUESTIONS .

THE ADMINISTRATION DESCRIBED IT IN ERROR, BASICALLY, A SNAFU THAT SOMEBODY SHOULD'VE CAUGHT ALONG THE ROAD.

HOWEVER, CRITICS, PARTICULARLY REPUBLICANS, ARE SAYING THAT IS POULTRY, THAT IS A CHUMP CHANGE, AND BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE SECOND RACE THAT LEGISLATORS HAVE REALLY GOTTEN