Illinois Politics and Other Updates

As lawmakers in Illinois work to finalize a state budget and ensure the Chicago Bears remain in the state, Mayor Brandon Johnson, accompanied by 46 people, visited the Vatican. During this visit, they met with Pope Leo XIV and presented him with some giardiniera. Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, one of the guests, experienced a setback as CTU members rejected a proposed dues increase. This hike would have provided $8.5 million for future school board election campaigns.

Governor JB Pritzker remains optimistic about securing a deal to keep the Bears in Illinois, even after Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas published an analysis on the broader tax implications of the megaprojects bill. The bill includes the proposed Arlington Heights stadium. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the Texas GOP Senate runoff, Ken Paxton, secured a win. After consulting with his Cabinet, the president moved closer to deciding on whether to extend the ceasefire in Iran.

“It’s a real Chicago style in terms of the way the pope delivers his message and justice. What I witnessed was an incredibly humble individual whose roots really defined his leadership in this moment. … A pope who can talk about global international population shift and could have a good home Chicago argument over the Cubs and the Sox, that’s who we are in Chicago.” — Mayor Brandon Johnson

“My dead grandmother would have to come back to life for the Bears to go to Indiana. That is all B.S., that they’re going to Indiana. It is a toxic site.” — Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas

“We’re working diligently to get this (process) across the finish line. I don’t want to understate it: This size and complexity takes a longer time.” — Sharla Roberts, Chicago’s chief procurement officer on finding a replacement for ShotSpotter

“If I had a dollar for the word diligent, I could go buy a nice lunch today.” — Ald. Pat Dowell on the city’s update on finding a replacement for ShotSpotter

“You have changed America and created the golden age.” — Howard Lutnick to President Donald Trump

The Tribune Editorial Board has curated another edition of Quotes of the Week. You can find previous editions or explore last week’s quotes here. Readers are encouraged to submit a letter to the editor online or via email.

Editorials include opinions from Mayor Brandon Johnson, who continues to advocate against the reinstatement of ShotSpotter in Chicago. Bob Kustra discusses the need for a new ‘field of dreams’ for African American baseball players. Letters reflect on when AIDS heavily impacted Chicago, and a union member urges CTU to limit excessive political activities.