Rift grows between Pritzker, Johnson after legislation disagreement
CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker vented a bit on Tuesday, saying he was blindsided by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson for urging lawmakers to oppose a bill to regulate hemp products, including Delta-8, at the last moment.
WHAT WE KNOW
Speaking at a press conference in Normal, Illinois, Pritzker expressed frustration that neither Johnson nor his team contacted his administration about the issue in advance.
"The lines of communication are open, but people have to take advantage of [them]," Pritzker said in regard to the hemp bill disagreement. "They didn’t call anybody in my administration."
Mayor Johnson, speaking to FOX 32's Paris Schutz in a one-on-one interview from City Hall, downplayed the tension, likening it to a family disagreement.
"Look sometimes within family, we come to slightly different conclusions, but we’re all moving toward the same goal, which is to keep people safe but make sure we hear from everyone on legislation to keep people safe," Johnson said.
THE BACKSTORY
Pritzker says it’s a pattern for the mayor. For all of Johnson’s requests from Springfield – from more money for Chicago Public Schools to progressive revenue for the budget – Pritzker's only heard from Johnson five times in two years.
"With regard to his budget, literally the last call we got was in September, once in December," Pritzker said. "We literally scheduled calls, and they didn’t show up."
Johnson retorted: "We’re all on the same team… No one’s picking a fight with anyone."
The mayor added, "We’re gonna work with the 108th General Assembly, our team is going to work with the governor’s team and all of the Chicago delegation."
FULL INTERVIEW: Johnson fires back at Pritzker’s criticism in 1-on-1 with Fox 32
A rift is growing between Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson after the mayor helped defeat a bill pushed by the governor that would have regulated hemp products like Delta 8 marijuana. Political reporter Paris Schutz went one-on-one with the mayor Tuesday.
Pritzker also directed his ire at another ally – House Speaker Emmanuel "Chris" Welch – who he says refused to call the bill for a vote and allowed lawmakers to berate the governor’s staff members.
"There was a raucous meeting of the Hosue Democratic caucus in which there was a lot of yelling by people opposed to the bill that the speaker did not intervene. You shouldn't let staff get berated like that, you just shouldn’t."