Latest news with #ClimateandEquitableJobsAct
Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Economic opportunities tied to climate goals, Gov. JB Pritzker says at Aspen conference
Gov. JB Pritzker shared his fears about the future of climate policy under President Donald Trump — and his thoughts on how Illinois can stick to its climate goals amid federal funding cuts — at a climate conference Monday night in Chicago. The Trump administration has enacted drastic funding and policy cuts across a range of sectors, largely targeting renewable energy incentives, scientific agencies and racial equity efforts. These cuts have left Illinois state lawmakers scrambling to fill budget holes, including a $771 million shortfall in funding for public transit that remains unresolved. During his remarks Monday night in an interview with ABC anchor Linsey Davis, Pritzker conceded these federal changes have put state and national climate goals at risk. Yet he maintained that Illinois has retained its ability to lead the Midwest in climate policy, emphasizing the importance of economic incentives to bring renewable energy and green technology to the state. 'If you want to accelerate the endeavor on climate action, you've got to make it understandable to everybody that there are jobs and economic opportunities available to them as a result of the change in our economy,' Pritzker said. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, passed by the Illinois legislature in 2021, has somewhat defined Pritzker's approach to making green development projects economically feasible. The watershed act set Illinois' goal of transitioning to renewable energy by 2050, established incentives for rooftop solar and electric vehicles and established clean energy workforce programs. Pritzker said that 70% of the state's current power mix comes from clean energy, though nuclear power accounts for the vast majority of this. Wind, solar and other renewables make up just below 14% of Illinois' power supply. Since CEJA's passage, the state has faced rising demand for electricity, leading to an increasingly unstable grid and consistent utility rate hikes. State legislators discussed passing another large energy bill this year that would have boosted energy storage and management for Illinois' electric grid. The bill did not pass this session, but Pritzker said that he is committed to passing a similar package next year. Though Pritzker recently announced that he will seek a third term as governor, many have speculated that he will throw his hat in the ring for the 2028 presidential election. Pritzker did not comment on a potential 2028 candidacy but when asked if he thought he'd make a good president, he said he thinks 'the bar has been set pretty low.' '(Democrats) still believe that the most important role that we have in government is to stand up for working families, for the most vulnerable, for the middle class,' he said. 'Do Democrats get it right all the time? No, and I think that it is as much a failure of messaging as anything else. I'm not suggesting that Democrats haven't gotten policies wrong. But let's not walk away from civil rights because we lost an election.' The discussion took place during the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference, a three-day event that has brought hundreds of state and local leaders to Chicago to talk about climate policy, clean energy and environmentally friendly infrastructure. 'Illinois has one of the most ambitious climate goals of any state, and so I think (we) just feel very proud to be from here, and to have the event here,' said Kobi Weinberg, a co-founder of the conference's Chicago iteration and of the Chicago Climate Corps. 'It's not just trying to expand climate efforts here in Chicago but in the broader Midwest too.' This is the first year the Aspen conference has taken place in Chicago. It has been held in Miami since its inception in 2022. Pritzker issued a statement in February to announce the conference was coming to Chicago, touting Illinois as a regional innovator in climate policy and infrastructure. He also spoke at last year's conference in Florida. Sunrise Movement activists held a rally Sunday at the University of Chicago, where some events during the first day of the Aspen Ideas: Climate conference were held. They called on Pritzker and other state authorities to pass a 'Make Polluters Pay' act, which would require the fossil fuel industry — instead of taxpayers — to fund green, resilient infrastructure and disaster response in the face of climate change, following similar bills recently passed in Vermont and New York. Pritzker did not comment on the rally during Monday's discussion. Other speakers included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and André Corrêa do Lago, president of United Nations climate conference COP30.
Chicago Tribune
09-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Audit finds state agency fell short on social equity initiatives outlined in Gov. JB Pritzker's landmark climate bill
Gov. JB Pritzker's economic development agency fell short in implementing elements of the governor's landmark climate bill aimed at ensuring social equity in the effort to move the state toward a carbon-free future, Illinois' auditor general said in a report released this week. From June 2022 to June 2024, the state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity failed to implement programs designed to assist clean energy contractors in underserved areas and to deliver clean energy jobs training to people exiting Illinois prisons, two social equity elements that were part of one of the country's most ambitious climate bills, the audit found. The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, outlines the Pritzker administration's plan for reaching 40% renewable energy by 2030 while also creating opportunities for workers from underserved groups. Christian Mitchell, the governor's pick as his running mate for next year's election, led negotiations on the law when he was a deputy governor in 2021. 'It's obviously frustrating when you see this legislation not make progress, and it's taken time to fully staff up the agencies and ensure those programs are on deck,' said Francisco Lopez Zavala, who leads workforce programs at the Illinois Environmental Council. 'But I continue to remain very positive.' The law contains many specific programs designed to bring climate job opportunities to workers from diverse backgrounds, but several fell short in the first years that the law was on the books, the audit said. For example, the law designates the Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program as a 'central small business support program' to provide services including 'low-cost capital, training, mentorship' and networking at certain sites in Illinois communities, according to an October 2023 press release. Pritzker at that time said DCEO would award $21 million for the program. While the department said it selected some sites for awards, 'no grants were executed by the end of the examination period,' the audit said. DCEO has made progress in implementing CEJA since the time period covered by the audit, Lopez Zavala said, but applications for the incubator program remain under review, according to DCEO's website. The audit also found DCEO failed to administer a program to prepare people prior to their release from from Illinois prisons for work in the clean energy arena. Pritzker announced $6 million in funding for that program in February 2024. As with the contractor program, applications for the 'Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program' remain under review, according to DCEO's website. And a program for community-based organizations to receive funding as energy 'navigators' — providing outreach services to ensure vulnerable people know about job opportunities — didn't specifically prioritize grants to organizations that had experience serving people affected by climate change, as mandated by CEJA. The department said in a response included in the audit that it does look at capacity to serve communities 'most vulnerable to environmental injustices.' DCEO did not dispute the auditor's findings, according to the response included in the report. In some cases, the department indicated the delays in implementing CEJA initiatives were the result of 'necessary lead time' to administer the programs. Pritzker's office referred questions about the audit to DCEO. In its response to questions from the Tribune, DCEO spokesperson Jordan Troy said the department had made 'substantial progress on key initiatives sine the time of the audit.' 'CEJA established a first-of-its-kind statewide clean energy workforce and contractor development framework – one that required building entirely new infrastructure, partnerships, and delivery systems,' Troy said in an email. 'As with any new and ambitious effort, implementation has required deliberate planning, stakeholder collaboration, and foundational capacity-building to ensure long-term success and accountability.' Lopez Zavala attributed some of the issues confronting DCEO to hiring delays — a characterization that aligned with another part of the auditor's report — though he said the department has made additional progress this year. Apart from the findings on CEJA specifically, the auditor found the department had an excessive number of open jobs on its organizational chart. During the period the auditor examined, there were no employees filling half of the department's positions, the audit said. Department management said DCEO views the vacancies as placeholders and not necessarily jobs that they need to fill, as it can be difficult to establish new positions, the audit said. Still, the department has continued to make progress on Pritzker's signature bill, advocates said. DCEO didn't implement the part of the law on workforce hubs, a central part of the CEJA job training strategy, until after June 2024 even though the department received funding for the program during the audit period, according to the report. Several workforce hubs now exist and most of them have graduated at least one to three cohorts of 15 to 30 job seekers each, according to Hannah Flath, a spokesperson for IEC. In addition, DCEO said in its response to the Tribune that it has made 219 awards overall on CEJA, totaling more than $200 million, according to the department. Each part of the law takes time and effort to bring to life, as CEJA is a huge piece of legislation, advocates said. 'We're seeing (that) not only from the state agencies themselves like DCEO, acknowledging some of the initial faults that they had and addressing those by working hard to implement CEJA — and then also from our communities,' Lopez Zavala said. 'It takes time to train a lot of these folks who haven't had these opportunities in the past.'
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Gov. JB Pritzker's running mate is a fellow Chicagoan, but says he will ‘represent all of Illinois'
During an appearance at a Bronzeville restaurant on Wednesday with his new running mate, Gov. JB Pritzker dismissed any suggestion that he was ignoring other areas of the state when he chose a fellow Chicagoan for his 2026 reelection bid. The governor a day earlier announced he had selected Christian Mitchell, a former state representative for parts of the South Side and a former deputy governor, to run as lieutenant governor, and their visit to Peach's restaurant on 47th Street was their first public joint appearance. 'When you're a state rep, you don't just represent the people in your district. You are also are voting on things that are good for people all across the state,' Pritzker said, standing next to Mitchell by a case of sweet drinks and cake in the crowded restaurant. 'We have passed bills that have been highly beneficial to job creation, expansion of health care, funding of education for people who live in — whether it's Anna, Carbondale or Quincy or Champaign.' Pritzker's partner in his first two terms, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, is running to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, which left the position open. Stratton and Mitchell are both Black and live on the South Side, bringing a different perspective to the ticket than the governor. The Chicago versus downstate dynamic in has been an source of friction in state politics for years, and Pritzker's choice figures to play into that issue going forward. For his part, Mitchell, 38, said he is ready to meet people from all over Illinois. 'In a tavern, at a bar, at a coffee shop, I'm willing to go anywhere, because my goal is to represent all of Illinois,' he said, after he and Pritzker spent about a half hour greeting a crowd of supporters and early lunch customers at Peach's, whose website features a photo of former President Barack Obama at the restaurant's counter. Mitchell's agenda as a legislator meshed closely with Pritzker's initiatives during the governor's two terms. Mitchell was among a group of legislators who called for a task force to study the possible legalization of recreational marijuana, and he introduced a proposal to eliminate cash bail — both ideas that eventually became reality after Pritzker became governor. During the 2018 election cycle, Mitchell also served as executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party, becoming the first African American to hold the position. He was a deputy governor in the Pritzker administration from 2019 to 2023 and a lead strategist on energy issues, including the landmark 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Since 2023, he's overseen government relations and other offices at the University of Chicago, his alma mater. Pritzker has repeatedly said the next lieutenant governor will have to fill the legacy being left by Stratton. Stratton raised more than $1 million in her first quarter as a Senate candidate, according to her campaign, trailing fellow Democratic candidate and U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg, whose campaign reported it raised more than $3.1 million. Krishnamoorthi, one of the top fundraisers in the House, ended the quarter with $21 million on hand, according to his campaign. Stratton has only had a few months to build up her operation, Pritzker noted when asked about the fundraising numbers Wednesday. The extent to which Pritzker, a billionaire who spent $350 million on his first two campaigns for governor, ends up supporting Stratton financially remains to be seen. 'You have to remember that Juliana has not had to raise money as lieutenant governor for me, and so she's going against people who have raised money for the last number of years,' Pritzker, who quickly endorsed Stratton this spring, said. 'She doesn't need to have as much as anyone else in the race. She is somebody that people all across the state know and admire.'
Politico
02-07-2025
- Business
- Politico
Christian Mitchell joins Pritzker's ticket
Good Wednesday morning, Illinois. My barbecue menu keeps growing. TOP TALKER PRITZKER's No. 2: Gov. JB Pritzker has tapped Christian Mitchell, a former deputy governor and veteran state representative, to be his lieutenant governor running mate in 2026. The move surprised some Democrats, who expected the governor to select someone with geographic diversity. Mitchell is a Chicagoan, though he did grow up in suburban Maywood. Mitchell brings legislative chops, and sometimes sharp-elbows, to the job. He's credited with negotiating the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, helping land the $45 billion Rebuild Illinois capital plan, and he managed the stockpile of supplies when the state was living through the Covid-19 pandemic. Maybe it's because of those trying times that Pritzker knows what Mitchell is made of. 'He's someone I have grown to trust,' Pritzker told reporters Tuesday at a bill signing. 'I've seen him usher enormous legislation through the legislature.' Mitchell, 38, also brings a youthfulness to the job at a time when the Democratic Party is looking for new faces and to address calls for generational change. And there's the Anne Caprara factor. Pritzker's chief of staff is a force in the governor's office and someone Mitchell works well with, and vice versa. That would be important should Pritzker become preoccupied with other, national endeavors. The lieutenant governor slot opened up when Juliana Stratton, who now holds the job, decided to run for the U.S. Senate seat that opened for the 2026 election. Here's Mitchell's introduction video. He sat down for a Q&A with WGN's Tahman Bradley Here are more details about his back story, by the Tribune's Olivia Olander Worth noting: It's the most low-profile statewide office in Illinois, by Lee Enterprises' Brenden Moore THE BUZZ MEGA MOVES: Illinois Democrats are criticizing the U.S. Senate's passage of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill — a measure they say will devastate working families. 'Hundreds of thousands of people are going to lose their health care if this gets signed into law,' Pritzker told reporters at an unrelated news conference Tuesday. 'This is shameful.' The governor said Illinois isn't able to make up for the federal cuts. 'No state in the country can cover the cost of reinstating that health insurance that is today paid for, mostly by the federal government [and] partially by state government,' he said. In spite of the 'enormous' impact, Pritzker said provisions in the megabill aren't likely to take effect until next year, 'so we'll have to evaluate what changes we have to make in order to deal with it' in a possible special session or during veto session. Sen. Tammy Duckworth called the bill 'morally and fiscally irresponsible,' and Sen. Dick Durbin warned of rural hospitals having to close. It's the kind of messaging Democrats are sure to use as they face Republicans in 2026 and, even, 2028. Democratic activists zeroed in on Illinois' three Republicans in the House — which will vote on the Senate version of the bill with all its tax cuts and billions of dollars to address immigration at the border. A group delivered petitions to Congressman Mike Bost's Murphysboro office, urging him to vote against the megabill. And another group is driving a mobile digital billboard in Congressman Darin LaHood's district, where activists say 24,000 constituents would be affected by the Medicaid cuts proposed in the megabill. LaHood is leaning toward supporting the measure, telling the Sun-Times's Tina Sfondeles, 'Republicans have a responsibility to prevent the largest tax increase in American history and deliver on promises we made to the American people.' A national takeaway: Some House Republicans are shocked at what the Senate did to the first version of the bill, by POLITICO's Benjamin Guggenheim and Jordain Carney. RELATED — The scramble to return to DC for megabill vote: Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi hosted a virtual town hall while at the wheel of a 14-hour drive from his suburban Chicago home to Washington, by POLITICO's Aaron Pellish — How the megabill will impact local food pantries given Illinoisans could lose SNAP benefits, by Greg Trotter for the Block Club — Vance's potential 2028 Democratic rivals want him to be the face of the megabill, by POLITICO's Cheyanne M. Daniels If you are Mike Bost, Playbook would like to hear from you! Email: skapos@ WHERE'S JB At Peach's Restaurant at 11:45 a.m. with Christian Mitchell for a campaign event WHERE's BRANDON No official public events Where's Toni In Humboldt Park at 9:30 a.m. to celebrate the completion of the first two homes that are part of the Cook County Modular Homes Pilot Program Have a tip, suggestion, birthday, new job or a (gasp!) complaint? Email skapos@ BUSINESS OF POLITICS — NEW IN IL-09: State Rep. Hoan Huynh has filed his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission declaring he's running for the 9th Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. The Democratic state representative won his first statehouse race in 2022 after knocking on the doors of every street in his district on Chicago's North Side. Huynh is planning a kick-off rally Tuesday. Details here — Endorsement: Daniel Biss, the Evanston mayor running for Congress in the 9th District, has been endorsed by state Sen. Mark Walker, a Democrat from the Arlington Heights 27th District. In a statement, Walker called Biss, 'one of the most ethical, hardworking, courageous and effective public servants I have ever seen. He will be a game changer.' — Democratic state Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid will report more than $500,000 cash on hand in the upcoming quarterly filing, including about $230,000 raised in the second quarter, according to his reelection campaign. 'This level of support ensures we'll have the resources to define any race on our terms,' said Campaign Chair Clem Balanoff in a statement. THE STATEWIDES — AG Kwame Raoul joins suit against Trump administration over immigrant Medicaid data: 'The suit, announced Tuesday, seeks to stop federal immigration officials from securing more health documentation or using the already obtained Medicaid records of millions nationwide to target enrollees for immigration enforcement,' by the Sun-Times' Violet Miller. — Pritzker signs health care legislation: 'The bills put more controls on the pricing of pharmaceutical drugs sold through insurance plans while expanding insurance coverage for certain kinds of hospital costs,' by Capitol News' Peter Hancock. — The cost of entry is crushing Illinois' cannabis entrepreneurs: 'Almost half of all marijuana business permits issued to date in Illinois — mostly held by social equity entrepreneurs — have not opened for business and are sitting idle,' by Crain's John Schroyer. CHICAGO — NASCAR race is on track this weekend, but its future is unclear: 'Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) sent a letter to NASCAR Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese requesting a post-race meeting to discuss the event's impact and future. The letter was also signed by Alds. Bill Conway (34th), Pat Dowell (4th) and Brendan Reilly (42nd),' by the Block Club's Melody Mercado. — Skeptical aldermen urge Chicago police to not work with ICE on Trump deportations: A City Council committee ordered police, emergency dispatchers and Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration to share more information about a June 4 deportation raid in which federal immigration agents clashed with protesters and several aldermen, by the Tribune's Jake Sheridan and Nell Salzman. — CPS is reducing assistants assigned to some special ed classes, worrying educators and parents, by WBEZ's Sarah Karp — Trump Tower to pay $4.8M in settlement to resolve complaint about fish killed in the Chicago River, by Fox 32 — Canadian expats in Chicago flock to Hopleaf to celebrate Canada Day, denounce Trump, by Bob Chiarito for the Sun-Times TAKING NAMES — Cardinal Blase Cupich met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, via Per Mariam's Michael Haynes — Precious Brady-Davis, a commissioner with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, has been selected to attend the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program. — Graham Grady has been named board chair of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation after serving on the board since 2008. The foundation provides grants focused on community violence intervention. Grady is a noted civic leader who by day is an attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister. — Carlos X. Montoya has been named chair of the Latino Leadership Council. In his day job, Montoya is CEO of I-ON Digital. He's also the former head of Republic Bank of Chicago and the former chair of the Illinois Property Tax Appeals Board. — Giving props: Paul Crimmins led the Mayer Brown team that advised Lake Forest-based Packaging Corporation of America on its $1.8 billion purchase of Greif Inc., a containerboard company. Also on Crimmins' team from the firm's Chicago and New York offices: Debra Hoffman, Mae Rogers, Mike Serafini, Kim Leffert and Jaimy Hamburg, and associates Alexander Aschi, Ben Crosby and Hannah Vanderlaan. MEDIA MATTERS — Lynn Sweet, who for years has headed the Sun-Times' D.C. coverage, is taking on an innovative new role working with the audience team to report news and offer quick explainers on a range of media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram. She'll work across the newsroom and with marketing and other departments, too. And Tina Sfondeles is now national political reporter in Chicago, according to the Sun-Times' Jennifer Kho. — Amy Jacobson, the conservative radio personality, is out at AM560 due to 'a cost-cutting move.' But she's already launching a podcast. Her radio co-host Dan Proft will continue on the air, via the Illinois Review. Reader Digest We asked what event you missed because of work. Laura Kotelman: 'The Cubs World Series Parade. What was I thinking?!' Jim Lyons: 'Two of my cousins' weddings. Was working an afternoon shift and could not get anyone to cover for me.' Luis Narváez: 'Celebrations for the Cubs, Blackhawks and Sky.' Alexander Sutton: 'Argentina's President Milei came to speak in my town. I had tickets. Work had other plans!' Timothy Thomas: 'The millennium celebrations held Dec. 31, 1999, due to manning a post at Navy Pier.' NEXT QUESTION: Who puts on a jaw-dropping fireworks show in Illinois? THE NATIONAL TAKE — Some good news about political polarization: It can change, by POLITICO's Holly Otterbein — Column: Trump's National Security Council is flailing, by POLITICO's Nahal Toosi — Trump makes up with DeSantis at 'Alligator Alcatraz': 'You'll always be my friend,' by POLITICO's Kimberly Leonard IN MEMORIAM — Kenneth Norgan, stalwart patron of Harris Theater, dies, by Bob Goldsborough for the Tribune KUDOS — Stomping Ground Strategies won six Bulldog PR Awards, including the Grand Prize for Best PR Campaign of the Year for 'More Plants on Plates Illinois,' a multilingual campaign that addressed plant-based school lunch options across Illinois. Transitions — Michael E. Holden is now a senior partner in Romanucci & Blandin's Chicago office. He's been with the firm since 2005, starting as a law clerk while in law school before becoming an attorney and partner. TRIVIA TUESDAY's ANSWER: Congrats to Christine Svenson and Ed Mazur for correctly answering that the Honorable Ilana Diamond Rovner was born in Riga, Latvia. She was the first woman appointed to the Seventh Circuit TODAY's QUESTION: Who was the Cubs outfielder who made a sparkling catch to preserve Don Cardwell's no-hitter? Email skapos@ HAPPY BIRTHDAY Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran, state Rep. Will Davis, Chicago Ald. Bennett Lawson, Illinois Central College VP and former state Rep. Mike Unes, Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism Chief Counsel Mark Palmer, Illinois AFL-CIO Chief of Staff Samantha McClain, Stricklin & Associates VP Jennifer Stricklin, former SEIU executive director Jerry Morrison, The Parent Collective CEO Sam Chapman, political consultant Bill Velazquez, attorney and organizer Stacey Rubin Silver, CRE Digital Content Researcher Jennifer Zucker Healy, lifestyle blogger Zondra Hughes and restaurateur Curtis Duffy -30-
Axios
01-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Pritzker announces Christian Mitchell as running mate
Gov. JB Pritzker has picked former Deputy Gov. Christian Mitchell as his running mate. Why it matters: If Pritzker is reelected, Mitchell could be in line to take over if Pritzker runs for president in 2028. State of play: Mitchell replaces current Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton on the ticket, since Stratton is running for U.S. Senate. The big picture: Mitchell served as a deputy governor for Pritzker from 2019-2023, working on the state's capital plan and other big initiatives during Pritzker's first term. Before that, Mitchell was a state representative for the 26th district for six years, which included the lakefront and Hyde Park. He's currently the vice president of civic engagement at the University of Chicago. What they're saying:"Christian Mitchell is a proven leader with deep experience, steady judgment, and an unshakable commitment to the working families of Illinois," Pritzker said in a press release. "I couldn't ask for a better partner to continue delivering results for the people of Illinois." "The governor has led with courage and compassion, and together we've built a foundation that's moving Illinois forward," Mitchell said in a statement. Zoom in: While he was deputy governor — an appointed position inside the governor's administration — he helped push the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act across the finish line, which has become a signature piece of legislation for Pritzker and has catapulted Illinois to one of the leading states in clean energy. He is also credited with shepherding Pritzker's capital plan, plus taking a lead role in the state's medical supply chain during COVID-19. Mitchell was also integral in passing Illinois' legal recreational cannabis law in 2019, which focused on social equity. Yes, but: The program stumbled out of the gate with court challenges and financial hurdles. The intrigue: Mitchell was also the first Black executive director of the Illinois Democratic Party, under convicted politician Michael Madigan, although he wasn't Madigan's first choice. His history at the top of the party could help unify Democrats on the campaign trail.
