He feels a little high and dry.
Reeling from the recent defeat of the marijuana bill, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker slammed Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a fellow Democrat, who publicly pushed for the bill's repeal.
Mr. Pritzker, 59, did not say a word about Mr. Johnson, 48. Support rate has declined significantlyand accused him and his team of lacking communication skills and even skipping scheduled calls.
“They don't communicate very often and I think that's partly because they don't have a good relationship in Springfield,” Pritzker said of Johnson during a news conference about health infrastructure grants.
“By the way, we had the call booked,” Pritzker further prodded. “And they didn't show up. Then they called me in December and nothing was asked for.”
“But then again, he has my phone number.”
Pritzker's candid assessment of Johnson came after he had harsh words for his Democratic colleagues in the state Legislature for blocking hemp legislation and was pressed by reporters about his relationship with Johnson. .
Billionaire's heir to the Hyatt hotel chain supports state law that would severely restrict sales of products such as Delta-10 THC, Delta-8, and similar hemp-derived substances that are especially popular among Illinois youth I was doing it.
Supporters of the bill argued that loopholes in current law allow smoke shops to sell unregulated hemp products to minors.
State-licensed legalized cannabis is subject to much stronger regulation than cannabis shops in the state, does not have the same level of taxes and fees, does not have to label the product's efficacy, and There is no need to comply with the following regulations. Age limit.
“Let me be clear: If the Speaker had called this and put it to a vote, it would have passed overwhelmingly,” Pritzker said, adding that he was considering other options. said.
Johnson opposed the bill, saying it would hurt the Windy City's revenue.
By late last year, Pritzker's team acknowledged that legislation cracking down on hemp products had stalled.
But Mr. Pritzker had no intention of giving Chicago's mayor any credit for defeating the policy, ripping off some Democrats in the state Legislature on the coal issue.
“It's a tragedy that the bill didn't pass. The mayor had very little to do with the final outcome. There was a raucous meeting of the Democratic House Caucus, and I think there was a lot of yelling,” Pritzker said. insisted.
“Certainly, what happened with the hemp bill could be indicative of the challenges the House will face as we organize to overcome some of the challenges we will face this spring. ”
Prime Minister Johnson said he is “aligned” with governors in wanting to tighten regulations on cannabis products.
“The governor and I agree that we will definitely have strict regulations for this particular type of product,” Johnson said. Fox 32 Chicago interview It was announced by the network on Tuesday.
“What we said is that in order to not only maximize regulations to keep people safe, but also to ensure that local authorities and stakeholders are involved in this process, we will It just means we need to be at the table together.”
The Post asked a spokesperson for the mayor's office for comment on Pritzker's sharp criticism earlier in the day.
“We're all on the same team, right? No one can play against anyone,” Johnson added in an exchange with Fox 32 Chicago. “Sometimes within a family we come to slightly different conclusions, but we are all working toward the same goal.”
Johnson, who was first elected mayor in 2023, reportedly had a sometimes strained relationship with the governor's office.
Although little information is available, opinion polls generally show that Mr. Johnson is viewed poorly among the public. His approval rating last year was 14%, according to a Change Research poll.
