>> MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON HAS BEEN BUSILY PLANNING HOW TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS AND REMAINING COVID RELIEF DOLLARS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

DEADLINE.

YESTERDAY HE PRESENTED HIS MONEY SPENDING PLAN TO CITY COUNCIL ALDERS SOME WHO'VE CALLED FOR MORE COUNCIL OVERSIGHT OF THE FEDERAL MONEY.

HERE.

WITH ALL THAT MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS AND OF TURKEY HAD A SHARON WELCOME BACK TEAM.

SO BEFORE WE GET TO WHERE THE MAYOR IS PUTTING THE REMAINING PANDEMIC RELIEF A NEW REPORT FROM THE TEAM OVERSEEING COURT ORDERED REFORMS THE CONSENT DECREE OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAD SOME GOOD NEWS FOR CITY OFFICIALS FINDING, QUOTE, INCREMENTAL PROGRESS, BUT ALSO SOUNDING AN ALARM.

>> HEATHER, WHAT IS THE LATEST ON THIS PUSH REFORM THAT STARTED 2019?

SO NOW THE CITY HAS COMPLIED WITH FULLY 7% OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CONSENT DECREE, WHICH IS UP ONLY SLIGHTLY FROM 6% DURING THE LAST 6 MONTHS PREVIEW, PERIOD.

SO THERE'S CLEARLY A LONG WAY TO GO.

BUT THIS REPORT DOES NOT SOUND ANYTHING LIKE THE PREVIOUS 2 REPORTS, WHICH WAS CLEARLY WARNING CITY OFFICIALS THAT THEY HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

THIS AT LEAST SAYS.

>> LARRY SNELLING THE SUIT.

NEW SUPERINTENDENT MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON SEEMED TO BE SORT PUTTING MORE EFFORT BEHIND THE SCENES AND DID SEE THE NUMBER OF CONSENT DECREE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS AT LEAST DRAFTED POLICIES INCREASED BY ABOUT 6%.

YOU CAN'T GET TO FULL COMPLIANCE UNTIL YOU MEET THAT INTERIM MARK.

SO AT LEAST IT'S PROGRESS.

BUT THE CONSENT DECREE MONITOR SAID CONVENTION IS GOING TO BE A HUGE TEST OF THIS OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING, INCLUDING SORT OF COMMUNITY POLICING POLICIES AS WELL AS A DELAYED STAFFING STUDY, WHICH WILL DETERMINE WHERE POLICE OFFICERS SHOULD BE DEPLOYED AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING ON THE JOB.

2 BIG A LOT OF WORK FOR THE CPD AS IT SHOULD BE.

OBVIOUSLY POLICE SUPERINTENDENT LARRY SNELLING TELLING REPORTERS TODAY THAT THE CITY IS READY TO HOST THE CONVENTION.

BUT OF COURSE, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE CITY'S INSPECTOR GENERAL THAT ARE WHAT'S BERG, BUT SHE STILL GOT SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER OR THE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY PREPARED.

BRING THAT UP FOR US.

HEAD OF HIS RIGHT?

WELL, WE DON'T KNOW YET.

AND WE'RE WAITING FOR A FEDERAL JUDGE TO SORT OF SORT OUT WHETHER THIS A MASS ARREST POLICY THAT YOU ASKED DE PERE.

WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT WHETHER IT'S ACCURATE, WHETHER IT'S ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND WHETHER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS TO MAKE MORE CHANGES.

WE JUST SIMPLY DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT.

AND THE CONVENTION IS COMING.

AND I THINK THERE ARE REAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE THE RIGHT POLICY IN PLACE AND WILL POLICE OFFICERS BE TRAINED ON THAT RIGHT POLICY IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO SORT OF FIST BILL THAT POLICY.

A LOT OF QUESTIONS REMAINING IS ALREADY UNDER WAY.

SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A POLICY, WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY BEING TRAINED ON IS ONE OF BIG ONE AS THE INSPECTOR GENERAL SAID THAT CAN LEAD TO SOME AS WELL.

CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS GOT AN IN-DEPTH LOOK, AS WE MENTIONED AT MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON'S PLAN TO SPEND EVERY PENNY OF THOSE COVID FEDERAL RELIEF DOLLARS TO, YOU KNOW, SET TO STRENGTHEN THE CITY'S TATTERED SOCIAL SAFETY NET, PROVIDE SOME DIRECT AID TO WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO RECOVER.

BUT THERE'S A DEADLINE WHY HEATHER CITY OFFICIALS SCRAMBLING AND WHAT WILL CHANGE?

WELL, APPARENTLY IT'S HARD TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ON PROGRAMS.

EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS RED TAPE.

THERE IS BUREAUCRACY.

BUT THE DEADLINE IS THE END OF THE YEAR FOR THE CITY TO BUDGET ALL OF THESE DOLLARS.

AND THEN THEY HAVE UNTIL 2026 ACTUALLY SPEND THE MONEY.

BUT THE ISSUE IS THAT BRANDON JOHNSON HAS DIFFERENT PRIORITIES.

LORI LIGHTFOOT, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT.

>> AND WHAT PART OF WHAT FRAN JOHNSON WANTS TO IS THAT DURING THE UPCOMING BUDGET PROCESS, HE'S GOING TO ASK THE CITY COUNCIL TO BASICALLY RE UP THE CITY'S GUARANTEED BASIC INCOME PROGRAM.

ANOTHER 32 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THAT.

HE ALSO WANTS MORE MONEY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND YOUTH JOBS ALL IN LINE WITH HIS SORT POLICY PLATFORM THAT HE RAN FOR AND WON ON.

THAT WILL GO THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS.

BUT YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST CHANCE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE TO SORT OF GET A NEW LOOK AT THE PLAN, WHICH IS NO LONGER THE CHICAGO RECOVERY PLAN AND IS NOW THE ROAD TO RECOVERY BRANDING BEING VERY IMPORTANT.

SOMETIMES IN POLITICS, AS WE ALL KNOW, AREN'T.

SO ONE THING THAT DIDN'T GET ANY FUNDING, NOT LOOKING LIKE IT'S GOING TO GET ANY FUNDING ANY TIME ARE CHICAGO'S PROPOSED STADIUM PROJECT.

AND AMANDA, WE KNOW THAT YOU SPOKE WITH HOUSE SPEAKER CHRIS WELCH JUST YESTERDAY ABOUT THIS.

>> HERE'S WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.

>> AS WE'VE SAID TO THE BEARS OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE WHITE SOX AND ALSO TO THE CHICAGO RED STARS.

THERE'S JUST NO USE TAXPAYER FUNDING TO FUND STADIUMS FOR BILLIONAIRES.

>> EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION YOU KNOW, EVEN AFTER THE ELECTION.

>> PRETTY BLUNT.

DOES IT SEEM CLEAR THAT THE BUT THE BEARS MAY YOU KNOW, FUN, BOLD THAT TO GET PUBLIC FUNDING.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BEARS COULD HAVE DONE TO WIN PUBLIC FUNDING JUST IN THIS TIME WHERE, AGAIN, THERE ARE STILL DEMANDS THAT CAN'T BE MET FOR EDUCATION, FOR MIGRANTS FOR ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAMS FOR ROLLING BACK TAXES.

I MEAN, THERE IS JUST AS THE SPEAKER WENT ON TO SAY, REALLY NO PUBLIC APPETITE.

AND I THINK THAT'S SORT OF THE RESPONSE THAT THESE ARE LEGISLATORS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO RESPOND TO THE PUBLIC THAT WHAT THEY'RE ELECTED TO DO.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BEARS COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY, BUT IT DOES SEEM AS IF THEIR STRATEGY WAS PRETTY FLAWED.

I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT EVEN GETTING CHANCE.

NONE OF THE LEGISLATORS, THE GOVERNOR.

>> EVEN WILLING TO SAY, YEAH, WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT.

THEY'RE THEY'RE SORT OF SUPPOSE THEY HAVE AN OUTRIGHT SAID NO, BUT THAT IS AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET TO OK?

SO BACK TO MAYOR JOHNSON BRIEFLY, HE UNVEILED HIS PLAN FOR FREE SIDEWALK.

SNOW REMOVAL PILOT PROGRAM.

>> ONLY 4 NEIGHBORHOODS.

HEATHER WILL BE CHOSEN AS PART OF THIS EXPERIMENT, WHICH ONES AND HOW DID THOSE GET CHOSEN?

WELL, BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS TO BE EQUAL IN CHICAGO.

YOU'VE GOT A NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTS OF UPTOWN.

YOU'VE GOT PARTS OF INGLEWOOD, SOME PARTS OF AUSTIN AND THEN ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE NEAR THE ARCHER HEIGHTS AREA.

AND THE IDEA IS THAT THE CITY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEARING SNOW AND ICE FROM THE ROADS.

WHY ISN'T THE CITY RESPONSIBLE FOR CLEARING SNOW AND ICE FROM SIDEWALKS?

PEOPLE NEED TO WALK.

PEOPLE WHO USE WHEELCHAIRS NEED TO GET AROUND MOMS WITH STROLLERS HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE BUS STOP.

AND THIS IS REALLY I THINK GOING TO BE A TEST OF SORT WHAT SORT IS GOVERNMENT'S JOB IN CHICAGO.

AND THAT IS VERY MUCH AT THE HEART BRANDON JOHNSON SORT OF WHOLE INITIATIVE IS THAT THE CITY HAS A GREATER OBLIGATION TO MAKE LIFE LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE NOW 8 IT HASN'T BEEN APPROVED YET.

IT'S GOT TO GO THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL AND IT'S GOING TO COST ABOUT ONE BETWEEN 1 MILLION DOLLARS AND 3.2 MILLION DOLLARS TO JUST DO THESE SORT 1.5 SQUARE MILE AREAS IN EACH OF THESE POOR NEIGHBORHOODS.

BUT THE IDEA IS THAT IF IT WORKS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD ROLL OUT CITYWIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO BACK TO SPRINGFIELD FOR A BIT.

SEVERAL 100 BILLS PASSED IN THE SPRING SESSION, BUT NOT EVERYTHING.

AMANDA, WHAT ARE A FEW SIGNIFICANT BILLS THAT STALLED?

DO THINK THAT IT'S WORTH PAYING ATTENTION TO.

YOU MIGHT WHO CARES?

THEY DIDN'T PASS ARE NOT GOING TO BECOME LAW.

BUT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT JUST DIDN'T CROSS THE FINISH LINE.

AND SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THEM KIND OF PREVIOUSLY.

AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, REGULATION OF HEMP, WHICH IS SEEN AS POTENTIALLY QUITE DANGEROUS.

AND SO STILL GOING COMPLETELY UNREGULATED BECAUSE YOU HAD 2 SIDES UNABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT.

>> AND THEN ALSO, I WOULD SAY CHANGES TO THE PRISONER REVIEW BOARD.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PRITZKER PUSH BACK ON.

HE SAYS HE SORT OF DOING IT HIMSELF EXECUTIVE ORDER AND THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.

BUT THE LEGISLATOR LEGISLATURE THAT IS CLEARLY DEMANDING MORE ACTION AFTER DEATH OF 11 YEAR-OLD JADEN PERKINS, WHICH WAS, OF COURSE, VERY HEARTBREAKING.

OKAY.

THAT IS SPOTLIGHT FOR THIS WEEK.

OF