>> A FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE IS GOING TO BAT FOR A CONVICTED ALDERMAN.

MEANWHILE, STATE LAWMAKERS ARE BACK IN SPRINGFIELD DEBATING A PROPOSAL TO MERGE CHICAGO'S 3 PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES.

AND THE CHICAGO BEARS ARE ALSO HOPING LAWMAKERS WILL APPROVE PUBLIC FINANCING FOR A LAKEFRONT STADIUM HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS A SPOTLIGHT.

POLITICS AND VICKI HAD A SHARON AND NICK LUMBERED.

I KNOW HOW TO SAY THEY GOING TO PROMISE.

WELCOME BACK.

OK, SO GOT TO START OFF WITH A CONVICTED FORMER ALDERMAN ED BURKE.

HE SET TO BE SENTENCED ON THOSE 13 COUNTS OF BRIBERY IN FEDERAL COURT LATE JUNE, LEADING UP TO THAT, OF COURSE, IS GATHERING LETTERS OF SUPPORT HEAD OR YOU'VE GOT A HOLD OF ONE OF THOSE LEATHER LETTERS.

WHAT IT THAT'S RIGHT.

FORMER MAYORAL CANDIDATE PAUL VALLAS WROTE A LETTER URGING U.S. DISTRICT COURT, JUDGE VIRGINIA KENDALL.

>> TO GRANT HIM WHATEVER LENIENCY SHE SAW FIT.

AND THIS REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE BECAUSE IF YOU REMEMBER BACK IN 2019, PAUL DALLAS CAMPAIGN FOR THE MAYOR.

>> THE FIRST TIME AROUND WHILE WIELDING A GIANT ROOM PROMISING TO ROOT OUT CORRUPTION IN CITY HALL.

BUT NOW HE SAYS, QUOTE, ED WAS A TRUE PROFESSIONAL WHOM I ALWAYS FELT MET MY STANDARDS OF ETHICS AND THAT SHE TRULY CARED NOT ONLY FOR HIS OWN CONSTITUENTS, FOR ALL OF CHICAGO.

THIS IS QUITE A TURNAROUND NOW.

I CAUGHT PAUL DALLAS BRIEFLY ON THE PHONE.

HE SAID THAT THEY ALWAYS WORKED WELL TOGETHER UNDER FORMER MAYOR RICHARD DALEY.

AND HE WAS REACHING OUT AS A FRIEND TO URGE LENIENCY BECAUSE, OF COURSE, AT BURKE IS 80 AND POTENTIALLY FACING MANY YEARS IN PRISON.

AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS INTERESTING.

YOU KNOW, HEARING HIM SAY HE ALWAYS CARED FOR EVERYDAY CHICAGOANS.

>> IN 2019 WHEN BALLOTS WAS RUNNING FOR MAYOR.

I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE RECORDING WE HAD OF HIS PRESS CONFERENCE AFTER BOURKE HAD BEEN INDICTED SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS PART OF THIS POLITICAL MACHINE THAT HAD REAL COSTS TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S EVERYDAY CITIZENS BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL CLASS IS GREED.

HE WENT AFTER BOURKE FOR, QUOTE, HUBRIS AND CARELESSNESS.

AND HE ALSO SAID THAT AS CITY BUDGET DIRECTOR, HE DID VERY LITTLE WORK WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, WHICH BERG HEADED FOR A LONG TIME.

NOW.

HE SAYS WAS ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE OF MY REFORMS.

HIS SUPPORT ADVICE WAS VERY COMFORTING DALLAS.

HAVE THAT FROM WITHIN FOR PRESSURE ANDY HANDY BROOM.

>> OKAY.

LAWMAKERS BACK IN SPRINGFIELD TODAY, ONE PRETTY RADICAL ITEM ON THEIR AGENDA IS A PROPOSAL TO MERGE THE CHICAGO AREA'S 3 PUBLIC TRANSIT AGENCIES.

MENTIONED THE UNION RESPONSE EARLIER IN THE SHOW.

ALSO A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN FUNDING IN THAT PROPOSAL.

NICK, HOW THIS NEW SYSTEM WORK?

>> WELL, THIS WOULD REPLACE THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, WHICH MANY CRITICS SAY HASN'T DONE MUCH TO ACTUALLY REGIONALIZE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND IT WOULD MERGE CTA, METRA AND COMMUTER RAIL, A CITY AND COLLAR SUBURB US IN TRAIN SERVICE AND SUBURBAN BUS AND PARATRANSIT ALL UNDER ONE ROOF.

THEY WOULD ALSO DO FAIR INTEGRATION, MEANINGFUL, FAIR INTEGRATION, WHICH IS SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW.

SO YOU TAKE THE TRAIN FROM THE NORTH SIDE INTO DOWNTOWN AND THEN HOP ON THE METRO ELECTRIC.

YOU CAN'T JUST TRANSFER THE WAY YOU WOULD IF YOU TOOK THE RED LINE DOWNTOWN, GOT ON A CTA BUS.

THEY ALSO WANT TO PUSH THIS SYSTEM TO MOVE AWAY FROM THE IDEA OF COMMUTER RAIL MORE TOWARD REGIONAL RAIL.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE ALREADY BEEN SEEING A METRA DO AS THEY TRY TO RECOVER RIDERSHIP POST-PANDEMIC WITH MORE LIKE OFF PEAK TRIPS, WEEKEND TRIPS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

THEY ALSO ONE ITEM THAT CAUGHT MY EYE HIM THERE IS THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE DIRECTORS HAVE, QUOTE, SUBSTANTIAL RIDERSHIP EXPERIENCE THEY WOULD TRACK AND PUBLISH THE NUMBER OF TRANSIT TRIPS THE DIRECTORS ON THE BOARD OF THIS NEW AUTHORITY TAKE, WHICH FOLLOWS ON SOME GREAT REPORTING FROM BLOCK CLUB, CHICAGO, ABOUT THE LACK OF TRANSIT RIDERSHIP FROM CTA LEADERS AND BOARD MEMBERS.

INTERESTING POINT.

THEY MAKE WHAT KIND OF REACTIONS THIS PROPOSAL GETTING WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF QUESTIONS HERE.

UNDERSTANDABLY, YOU MENTIONED THAT INCREASE IN FUNDING.

THAT WOULD BE A BILLION AND A HALF NEW DOLLARS ANNUALLY.

THEY'VE GOT SOME LANGUAGE IN THE LEGISLATION ABOUT THE SOURCES FOR THAT SALES TAX GAS TAX, OFF-STREET PARKING THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT THAT SORT PLACE HOLD OR PEACE.

IT SEEMS LIKE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS WHO WANTED THIS FOR A LONG TIME.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HEARD THAT PUSHBACK FROM A COUPLE INFLUENTIAL UNION GROUPS.

WE'VE ALSO HEARD CONCERNS THAT THIS COULD CREATE A FIGHT FOR MONEY BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE SUBURBS.

AND THAT COULD ULTIMATELY HARM RIDERS IN THE CITY.

LOW INCOME FOLKS, BLACK AND LATINO CHICAGOANS WHO REALLY RELY ON YOU KNOW, SOME CRITICS SAYING IF WE DON'T DO THE FUNDING PIECE, THIS IS JUST IN UNFUNDED MANDATE AND HOW'S THIS GOING TO FLY IN SPRINGFIELD?

I MEAN, I THINK IT'S QUITE EARLY.

THE GOVERNOR IS ONE WHO REALLY I THINK WE HAVE CARE A LOT ABOUT HOW HE FEELS ON THIS BECAUSE HE IS A GOVERNOR AND ALSO A STRONG GOVERNOR AT THAT.

HE GIVES A LOT OF MONEY TO DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO BASICALLY TAKE HIS LEAD.

>> AND HE IS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSED.

IT SEEMS HE'S TRYING TAKE A STEP BACK FROM ALL OF THIS AND SAYS THAT HE HOPES THERE'S GOING TO BE MULTIPLE PROPOSALS AT HIS FINGERTIPS, JUST SORT OF PERHAPS.

>> AT LEAST REVIEW.

SO HE'S SUPER NONCOMMITTAL.

HE HAS BEEN AGAINST THE SALES TAX ON SERVICES.

SO THAT SORT OF A NONSTARTER FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW.

BUT HE HAS SAID THAT THERE DO NEED TO BE MAJOR CHANGES.

HE COME OUT AGAINST DORVAL CARTER CALLING FOR A CHANGE AT THE HEAD OF THE CTA AS WELL.

SO CLEARLY HE'S WANTING TRANSACTION, BUT HE'S NOT AT THIS POINT WILLING TO GET OUT IN FRONT.

OKAY.

SO SHIFTING A LITTLE BIT SO AFTER ROE WAS OVERTURNED.

SPEAKING OF GOVERNOR PRITZKER, A HE AND OTHER TOP OFFICIALS TALK ABOUT ADDING AN TO THE ILLINOIS CONSTITUTION PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ABORTION.

>> AND YOU'VE REPORTED THAT THAT'S NOT GOING AND YEAH, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

AND THAT IS INTERESTING BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR INCLUDED IT AS ONE OF HIS GOALS FOR THE SECOND TERM AND HIS THEY GET ADDRESS WHEN HE WAS INAUGURATED TO FOR EVERY HAS HIS SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR.

INSTEAD, HE IS GOING TO BE PUTTING HIS MONEY IN THERE FOR ATTENTION.

IT SEEMS VIA >> DARK MONEY GROUPS THINK BIG, ILLINOIS.

WE DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE IS PART OF THAT OTHER THAN SO FAR HIM 2 OTHER STATES.

AND THE SEEMS AS IF MOST OF THE ADVOCATES FOR ABORTION RIGHTS ARE PRETTY ON BOARD BECAUSE THEY SAY ILLINOIS ALREADY HAS SO MANY LAWS IN PLACE THAT GIVE THOSE SORT OF PROTECTIONS THAT FOCUS ON THE STATES THAT DON'T WHERE IT'S MORE.

IF YOU ARE, YOU DON'T FRANKLY DEMOCRATIC CONTROL AS THERE IS IN ILLINOIS THAT WE HAVE YOU CAN BERRIES TO LEAVE, BUT STILL, I MEAN, IT WAS A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS ONE THING THAT'S DIFFICULT TO CHANGE.

>> A LOT THAT CAN BE CHANGED PRETTY EASILY.

SO IF THERE WERE TO BE ANY POLITICAL TURNOVER, THIS IS SORT OF A GUEST STARTED ROLLING THE DICE AND EXPECTING REALLY THAT THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A CHANGE IN POWER AND THAT ANY OF THOSE LAWS PROTECTING ABORTION WILL BE REVERSED.

SO COUPLE MINUTES LEFT TALK ABOUT THE THEY'RE ASKING FOR A LOT OF MONEY OF AMANDA.

HOW OF ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS RESPONDED TO THE BEARS ASKING FOR MORE THAN A BILLION DOLLARS IN PUBLIC I GUESS IT JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT SOMETHING THERE'S WANT TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL.

LOT OF BEARS FANS WANT THAT TOO.

>> DOESN'T MEAN IT'S GOING TO OF.

SO I THINK THUS FAR THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF I THINK, FRUSTRATION WITH ROLLOUT.

YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY LEGISLATOR GETTING IN FRONT EMBRACE AND SAY I'M GOING TO CARRY THIS BILL.

YOU ALREADY HAVE THOSE FROM THE SUBURBS THAT ARE FRUSTRATED, PERHAPS BITE LEAVING ARLINGTON HEIGHTS BEHIND AND STILL HOLDING OUT HOPE FOR SO JUST THE MAYOR MAY BE LIKING THAT DON'T THINK YOU'RE HAVING A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER POLITICIANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN SPRINGFIELD.

GIVE ANY SORT OF FAVOR ABILITY TOWARD THIS PLAN.

SO OR NECK.

LAST WEEK, THE BEARS ASKED THE ILLINOIS SPORTS FINANCING AUTHORITY FOR 900 MILLION DOLLARS TO BUILD THIS A STADIUM WITH TAXPAYERS.

YOU KNOW, STILL ON THE HOOK FOR ABOUT 600 MILLION DOLLARS.

>> THAT IT WOULD COST OR THAT IT DID COST OF A SOLDIER FIELD BACK IN 2003, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

>> MAYOR AND SOME SAY THE GOVERNOR'S CHIEF OF STAFF AND DEPUTY GOVERNOR ARE SET TO SIT DOWN WITH THE BEARS TOMORROW.

GRAINS HAS REPORTED THAT WILL BE THE FIRST REAL SUBSTANTIVE MEETING ON THIS.

BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF STEPS THAT COME AFTER THIS.

IT IS NOWHERE NEAR A DONE DEAL.

YOU KNOW, THE YOU KNOW, THE STATE AGENCY THAT OVERSEES THESE BONDS IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO AN THIS IS NOT HAPPENING.

THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION OR MAYBE EVER FARES REALLY WANT ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM POLITICALLY FEASIBLE BECAUSE ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT THE SUBSIDY SHOULD BE AND HOW TO GET THERE, YOU STILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHETHER TO BE BUILT ON THE LAKEFRONT.

>> A MAJOR QUESTION WE JUST YET, WHICH THEY'RE ALSO GOING