In this week’s edition of Spotlight Politics:

City Council colleagues of Ald. Jim Gardiner (45th Ward) are calling for him to be punished after text messages show him using offensive language and seeking to withhold city services from a constituent.

A long-awaited contract deal with the union representing rank-and-file Chicago police officers moves toward approval, as the city and Chicago Police Department face a class-action lawsuit over stop-and-frisk practices.

State lawmakers return to Springfield with hopes of getting a comprehensive energy deal over the finish line. 

Teachers and students raise concerns about overcrowding at CPS schools and possible spread of COVID-19. 

And a fight over affordable housing on the Northwest Side could pose a key test to aldermanic privilege.

Our politics team of Amanda Vinicky, Paris Schutz and Heather Cherone takes on those stories and more.