>> THE CITY TREASURER FACES AN ADDITIONAL $10,000 ETHICS, FINE.

ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS DEBATE THE GOVERNOR'S NEARLY 53 BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET PROPOSAL AND HUNDREDS OF CHICAGO TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO SKIP SCHOOL TOMORROW.

KIND OF HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT POLITICS AND OF IN TURKEY AND HEADER, SHARON, HEY, GANG.

SO LET'S START WITH THESE POLICE MISCONDUCT VIEWERS MIGHT REMEMBER THE 2021 CASE OF IRENE CHAVEZ WHO DIED BY SUICIDE WHILE BEING HELD AT THE 3RD DISTRICT GRAND CROSSING POLICE STATION.

THAT'S, OF COURSE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.

HEATHER WTTG TO WHAT OUR STATIONS WILL BE TAKING W WAS ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF A LETTER HIGHLIGHTING THE DISPUTE OVER HOW THE OFFICERS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHAVEZ SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCIPLINED.

WHY DOES IT MATTER THAT THE CIVILIAN OFFICE OF POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY OR COPA AND THE POLICE BRASS COULDN'T AGREE ON HOW TO DISCIPLINE THOSE THAT THEY THEY DISAGREED IF THEY FAILED TO KEEP OUR RAIN.

SO COLD THAT DETERMINED THAT 8 OFFICERS SHOULD FACE LENGTHY SUSPENSIONS OF 6 MONTHS OR A TERMINATION BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF IRENE CHAVEZ WHILE SHE WAS IN CUSTODY AND SHE ENDED UP, AS YOU SAID, DYING BY SUICIDE.

>> NOW, INTERIM POLICE SUPERINTENDENT FRED WALLER WHO IS IN CHARGE OF TIME.

SO THAT WAS EXCESSIVE AND PUNITIVE.

AND HE SAID THAT OFFICERS SHOULD BE SUSPENDED FOR NO MORE THAN 60 DAYS.

AND IN SOME CASES FOR AS FEW AS 7 DAYS NOW, THAT MEANS THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE UP TO THE CHICAGO POLICE BOARD DECIDES HEARD HOW THIS ALL SHAKES OUT.

BUT THIS IS PART OF SORT OF A LARGER DISPUTE BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN THE LEAD MISCONDUCT AGENCY ABOUT HOW TO HOLD OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR MISCONDUCT, WHICH IS REALLY THE CENTRAL CASE OF THE CONSENT DECREE AND HAS LED TO DEATH DECADES OF OF SCANDALS AND BRUTALITY.

AND THERE IS REALLY JUST THE FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF WHETHER THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ITS AGENCIES ARE CAPABLE OF HOLDING OFFICERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR SERIOUS MISCONDUCT.

AND AS HE WAS SPEAKING AHEAD, COURSE, WE'RE LOOKING AT VIDEO OF A FRED WALLER WHEN HE WAS SERVING AS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT COURSE.

HE IS NO LONGER THE SUPERINTENDENT OF CPD.

LET'S SWITCH TO SPRINGFIELD FOR A BIT, AMANDA, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR IS TRYING TO GET HIS NEAR 53 BILLION DOLLARS.

STATE BUDGET APPROVED.

>> DEMOCRATS ON BOARD WITH US.

>> SO IT'S STILL RELATIVELY EARLY IN THE PROCESS, WHICH IS SORT OF RIDICULOUS THING TO SAY, GIVEN THAT THE BUDGET HAS TO BE PASSED BY THE END OF MAY.

BUT YOU DON'T GET A LOT OF THE DECISIONS REALLY MADE THE AGREEMENTS IN TILL THE END OF THE AND LEGISLATORS PROCRASTINATE EVEN MORE THAN BUT HE IS GET HAVING SOME RETICENCE.

IT SEEMS FROM WITHIN CORNER.

CERTAINLY REPUBLICANS HAVE RESERVATIONS DEMOCRATS TO AS WELL.

THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE HAS PUT OUT A NOTICE TO STATE AGENCIES TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE DO WITH 800 MILLION DOLLARS LESS IN THE EVENT THAT FOLKS DON'T GET ON BOARD WITH THE REVENUE THAT THE NEW FORMS OF RAISING MONEY THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD PITCHED BACK IN THE START OF THIS YEAR WHEN HE FIRST LAID OUT HIS BUDGET PROPOSAL.

SO THEY'RE STILL VERY MUCH NEGOTIATIONS GOING ON IN SOME ADDITIONAL PRESSURES, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO FUNDING LET'S TALK ABOUT SCHOOLS BECAUSE LAWMAKERS IN SPRINGFIELD WILL HAVE SOME SCHOOL FOLKS TO CONTEND WITH TOMORROW.

HUNDREDS OF CHICAGO TEACHERS ARE.

>> SKIPPING SCHOOL.

IT'S AN EXCUSED ABSENCE, THOUGH, AND TAKING A ROAD TRIP SO THAT THEY CAN LOBBY THEIR LEGISLATORS.

WHY IS THIS PARTICULAR TRIP DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS TRIPS?

WELL, IN PART BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY YOU GET TEACHERS OFTEN.

YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'RE THEY'RE IN THE CLASSROOM.

YOU MIGHT TEACHER FOLKS WHO >> DON'T TAKE VACATIONS.

DON'T TAKE A DAY OFF DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND SO THIS IS UNCOMMON THAT THEY ARE GETTING PAID TO GO TO LOBBY IN SPRINGFIELD IN IT IS.

THIS IS THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION, ABOUT 200 TEACHERS, I'M TOLD OR SO GIVE OR TAKE.

AND THEN THEY WILL BE COUPLED IS WELL WITH PEDRO MARTINEZ, THE HEAD OF CPS.

I MEAN, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE SEEN BEFORE.

THIS UNITY BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE TEACHERS UNION.

OF COURSE IT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE NOW YOU HAVE A MAYOR AT THE HELM THAT HAD REALLY OF CPS WHO IS IN AGREEMENT LARGELY WITH THE CTU, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT INSTEAD, THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO BATTLE WITH THE STATE SO VERY UNIQUE THAT THEY ARE COLLABORATING UNIQUE THAT TEACHERS ARE GETTING SOME TIME OFF PAID FOR THIS.

AND THAT IS ALSO WHY THIS IS STIRRING SOME CONTROVERSY ALREADY.

THERE'S A PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW WITH REPUBLICANS WHO AREN'T HAPPY THAT THIS IS EXCUSED ABSENCE.

OKAY.

THING FOR MONEY.

BY THE WAY, BRANDS THEY WANT MORE MONEY.

WE'RE JUST GOING FOR A GOOD TIME, OK?

SO I HAVE CITY COUNCIL WEIGHING WHETHER TO PAY NEARLY 4 MILLION DOLLARS TO SETTLE FOR LAWSUITS CLAIMING CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS COMMITTED A WIDE RANGE OF MISCONDUCT INCLUDING 2 STEMMING FROM UNREST AND PROTESTS AFTER THE POLICE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD DURING SUMMER OF 2020.

WE ALL YOU'VE BEEN TRACKING THAT COST TO TAXPAYERS.

WHAT IS THE LATEST?

SO IF THESE ELEMENTS ARE APPROVED TO NEXT WEEK, THAT WOULD BRING THE TOTAL FOR SETTLEMENTS AND TO PAY OUTSIDE LAWYERS TO DEFEND THE CITY TO NEARLY 7 MILLION DOLLARS.

THE LATEST LAWSUIT WOULD SEND ABOUT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS TO THE FAMILY OF A 15 YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO WAS ORDERED TO THE GROUND BY CHICAGO POLICE OFFICERS DURING THE UNREST AND THEN RUN OVER BY A POLICE CAR THAT WAS MISTAKENLY LEFT IN REVERSE AND NOT IN PARK WHEN THE OFFICER HOPPED OUT TO ADDRESS TO THE UNREST.

SO THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SUIT THAT WOULD PAY A MAN WHOSE LEG WAS BROKEN DURING THE UNREST OUTSIDE TRUMP HE SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND THERE'S NOBODY IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO CAN SAY WHY POLICE OFFICERS USED FORCE AGAINST HIM.

AND THAT, OF COURSE, VIOLATES ALL OF THE RULES GOVERNING THE INTERACTIONS WITH THE PUBLIC.

GETTING TIGHT ON TIME.

AND LET'S TALK ABOUT CITY TREASURER, MELISSA CONYERS, CHICAGO'S BOARD OF ETHICS IMPOSE ANOTHER.

>> $10,000 FINE ON HAVING TO DO WITH THE FIRING OF 2 TOP AIDES KNOW THIS IS ON THE HEELS OF ANOTHER $60,000 FINE THAT SHE RECEIVED IN APRIL.

WHAT'S THIS LATEST?

SO THIS BRINGS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS BY MELISSA CONYERS, URBAN OF THE GOVERNMENT ETHICS ORDINANCE TO 14 VIOLATION, INCLUDING RETALIATING AGAINST WHISTLEBLOWERS WHO TOLD HER NOT TO USE CITY RESOURCES FOR PERSONAL GAIN.

SHE, OF COURSE, RAN UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR CONGRESS AND SHE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO EITHER CONVINCE THE BOARD OR A JUDGE TO REVERSE THESE FINES OR DID DIG DEEP INTO OUR POCKETS, OK?

SO AND THEN QUICKLY, AMANDA, ONE LAST BIT FROM SPRINGFIELD, SOME REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE, LESS LEGISLATORS ARE SUING TO BLOCK ELECTION REFORM BILL THAT DEMOCRATS FAST TRACK QUICKLY PASS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

THE LAW BANS THE PRACTICE OF SLEEPING CANDIDATES ON THE BALLOT.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTUALLY AREN'T TO LEGISLATORS, HER SHRINK THEIR CANDIDATES.

THEY WANT TO BE LEGISLATORS AND THAT SEVERAL ISSUES THAT THAT SAY THEY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE DEMOCRATS PASSED THIS BILL REALLY CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME.

IF YOU THINK OF AN ELECTION IS A GAME, OF COURSE, A VERY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

>> 2 RULES OF THE GAME MIDWAY THROUGH.

SO THEY FILED THIS LAWSUIT PETITIONING THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN FOR OFFICE IN THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE.

OKAY, HEATHER, I KNOW YOU HAD INTERVIEW WITH MAYOR JOHNSON ON HIS ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.

WHAT'S A HIGHLIGHTER TO THAT?

WE SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR THAT DROP WHILE HE REMAINS VERY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THIS.

SOUL OF CHICAGO AS WE HAVE HEARD HIM SAY TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

BUT HE DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE HAS SUFFERED SOME UNFORCED ERRORS AND HIGH-PROFILE DEFEATS.

AND MY ARTICLE AND MY D BRIEF TOMORROW NIGHT, WE'LL LOOK AT ALL OF THAT AND THE BIG