Flannery Fired Up: The current state of Illinois; Lightfoot reforms

CHICAGO (Fox 32 News) - Two Springfield veterans who worked across party lines on the 2020 State of Illinois budget appear on this edition of Flannery Fired Up.

They are Illinois House Republican Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and former State Rep. Christian Mitchell (D-Chicago), now Gov. JB Pritzker's deputy governor for public safety, infrastructure and the environment. In addition to the budget, they also achieved a bi-partisan agreement on Illinois's largest capital works construction program in a decade: $45 billion for roads, bridges, transit and a host of other items.

The capital plan's been criticized by the Chicago Tribune's editorial page for including unnecessary "pork." While Mitchell disputes that, Durkin said, "Time will tell."

The two men strongly disagree on Pritzker's plan to make the Illinois income tax graduated, with higher earners paying higher rates. They debate the merits of the referendum that will appear on ballots statewide in November, 2020.

Also appearing on the show, Greg Hinz, Political Columnist for Crain's Chicago Business, and Maze Jackson of WVON radio, 1690-AM. They tackle issues at City Hall, as well as the State Capitol.

In the "Hot Take" segment that ends this edition, Flannery, a longtime resident of the South Side, applauds a federal judge's decision this regarding the Obama Presidential Center. The judge threw out a lawsuit seeking to prevent the OPC from being built in Jackson Park. Flannery concludes that it's finally time to clear away the remaining red tape and allow construction to begin.