Politics

Pritzker, Johnson Clash Over Hemp Regulation as Bill Stalls in Springfield

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants the state to come through for him in a major way to boost spending on the city’s schools and transportation networks — but Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Johnson and his team “don’t reach out very often, and it seems like they don’t have good relationships in Springfield.”

Pritzker said the mayor has his direct number but doesn’t use it often.

“Maybe in the time that he’s been mayor, he’s called me perhaps five times,” Pritzker said.

In an exclusive interview with WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” on Monday, Johnson said, “We are working collaboratively, and we are in constant conversations with the state of Illinois, with the governor’s team, with the leadership in Springfield.”

Johnson has been in office since May 2023, or just over a year and a half.

Pritzker made blistering remarks Tuesday about Johnson as well as Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch for their roles in stalling controversial legislation the governor had embraced to crack down on intoxicating hemp, resulting in a rare public defeat for Pritzker.

The friction sets a rocky stage as Illinois heads into what’s sure to be months of difficult negotiations over how to close a more than $3 billion budget gap — a deficit that does not include any of the extra spending Johnson is pushing for.

At the same time, Pritzker downplayed the hemp measure’s demise as a victory for Johnson, saying that the mayor’s opposition to it had little to do with the lack of success.

Johnson’s side seemed to try to quell the notion of a brewing battle royale between the city and state’s leading Democrats, with his top aide over his legislative team telling WTTW News that she’s hopeful the kerfuffle won’t bleed over into other issues.

“The people of Chicago and the people of Illinois — both constituents that the governor represents — are depending on us to not overly politicize what should simply be a matter of concern for their health, their well-being, the safety of our communities,” Johnson chief of external affairs Kennedy Bartley said.

The Battle Over Hemp Regulation

The political skirmish notwithstanding, there’s an earnest battle over how to handle increasingly common weed-adjacent CBD products.

Illinois lawmakers have for years struggled to refine how they want to regulate the products, which are in a legal gray zone: While they’re technically legal on both the state and federal level because they contain less THC than cannabis (THC is the compound that makes marijuana intoxicating), some developers use synthetic means to make the CBD intoxicating.

Studies have shown that some hemp-derived products — readily found in both head shops and places like gas stations — contain ingredients outside of what’s listed on the packaging, are more (or on occasion less) stimulating than advertised and are purposefully designed to appeal to children like they’re regular candy.

In comparison, Illinois performs strict inspections of licensed cannabis manufacturers, growers and dealers. The cannabis industry is pushing for equally strict oversight of its competitors in hemp.

While the Illinois Senate passed a measure (House Bill 4293) that would heavily restrict sales of hemp-derived products, the Illinois House recessed without taking it up.

That’s to the relief of entrepreneurs selling hemp-derived drinks, lotions and other products, who say they, too, favor state oversight and want disreputable operators closed — but that the Senate-approved bill is so strict that it would force their legitimate businesses to close.

There’s also frustration among some Black elected officials that the stricter approach will punish business owners who were shut out of the legal cannabis market via a messy and prolonged state licensing process.

In mid-December, Pritzker waded into the fray when he came out in favor of the controversial bill and urged representatives to pass it during their lame duck session this week — the final days of the legislative session, as a new General Assembly will be seated Wednesday.

Pritzker said then, and repeated Tuesday, that it’s a matter of public safety, citing deaths linked to youth who’d used untested intoxicating hemp.

“This is about consumer safety and health,” Pritzker said.

In recent days, Johnson’s team began working to kill the measure, with some saying that Johnson put on a full court press Monday to halt the measure from moving in the House.

Pritzker said the mayor’s staff never reached out to him or his office to have a conversation about the mayor’s issues before Johnson moved to defeat it — a breach of regular political protocol, especially for members of the same party.

Bartley on Tuesday afternoon stood by Chicago’s last-minute lobbying effort, saying that “our opposition is largely rooted in the fact that this felt rushed. We need to be at the table.”

When Pritzker made his announcement Dec. 13, the city was in the throes of securing a city budget by an end-of-year deadline; that the legislation had a chance to move during the lame duck session was a “surprise,” Bartley said.

Hemp regulations were also a minor part of city budget negotiations. It wasn’t finalized as part of the 2025 budget deal, but Johnson ally Ald. William Hall (6th Ward) is pushing for Chicago to license hemp businesses.

The mayor has a “well-documented interest in hemp,” Bartley said.

Bartley said as someone who cares deeply about youth and their safety, Johnson backs regulation of synthetic hemp products. She said the mayor would have been in full support of proposals in Springfield that would ban anyone under the age of 21 from buying delta-8 and its cousins, and wished that there was more mobilization behind those stalled efforts.

“We believe that there is a real balance that can be created when we do not rush, that ensures that there is public health and public safety, regulations,” Bartley said.

Despite publicly ripping Johnson for poor outreach in Springfield, Pritzker said the mayor shouldn’t be credited with killing the hemp-measure favored by the governor.

“The mayor had very little to do with the ultimate result,” Pritzker said.

Rather, Pritzker said it died at the hands of “special interests, and the money that they spread around, to thwart health and safety of the public.”

Licensed cannabis companies thanked Pritzker for his support, and in a statement said that leaving intoxicating hemp without rules “leaves consumers at risk and undermines the state’s carefully regulated cannabis market, particularly social equity cannabis license holders who face extensive rules and regulations while those selling intoxicating hemp continue to get off easy.”

The governor indicated that he would examine using his executive powers to try to protect youth, but said that legislative action is needed to do all that’s necessary.

Frayed Relationships

Pritzker is likely seething at the perception he was felled by Johnson, which may have paved the way for why he unleashed in such a public fashion about the mayor.

Republicans are playing the infighting.

“The Mayor of Chicago is now running the Illinois Democratic Caucus,” House Republican leader Tony McCombie said in a statement. “Not a surprise given the chaos and disorganization on constant display. The Speaker scrambles to put out fires within his own party and continues to overlook meaningful bipartisan solutions to critical issues.”

The emailed statement had a note at the bottom “for background: October 2024 - the Mayor of Chicago had a 14% approval favorable rating.”

The “chaos and disorganization” is an apparent reference to turnover on Welch’s staff, most recently with the pending departure of four women who’ve served in top roles as chief of staff, press secretary, chief legal counsel and legislative director.

Clayton Harris III, who unsuccessfully last year sought the Democratic nomination for Cook County state’s attorney, will take over as Welch’s chief of staff on Thursday.

While Pritzker acknowledged the measure is dead, he said that had it been called for a vote, there would have been enough bipartisan support that it would have passed.

The governor blamed Welch, another Democrat, for holding back the bill.

“I think not calling it was irresponsible,” Pritzker said.

In an emailed statement, a Welch spokesperson said that though he is a “sponsor and strong supporter” of the bill, “he is also committed to collaboration and collective decision making. A lengthy caucus discussion found that the bill in its current form did not have enough support within the House Democratic Caucus. He is committed to continuing discussions so that when the bill ultimately passes, it is the best possible piece of legislation for the state of Illinois.”

In response to reporters’ questions Tuesday, Pritzker otherwise took umbrage with Welch for failing to quell tempers Monday when state employees with hemp expertise were invited to school House Democrats on it during their private caucus meeting at the capitol.

“These are really top-notch professionals, no political anything involved. They literally were there to answer questions and to provide information, and they were berated by people who were opposed to the bill. They were berated. They were called liars,” Pritzker said, noting that one left because she “felt ganged up upon.”

Pritzker said he told Welch it was “unacceptable” for Democratic legislators to berate state employees, and he said the speaker should have intervened to put a stop to it.

In response to questions from WTTW News, a Welch spokesperson said in an email that he “expects members of the House to conduct themselves with proper decorum and respect, especially on contentious topics amidst tight deadlines.”

“Speaker Welch spoke individually with certain members immediately following the discussion yesterday, as well as to the entire Caucus today, reiterating these expectations,” the statement said. “It is his understanding that at least one member has reached out to offer an apology to the Governor’s staff, and has also apologized to members of the Democratic Caucus.”

Welch’s communications team did not directly respond to questions about whether the incident and the wedge over the hemp legislation are an indication of deeper problems with Pritzker that could lead to difficulty in the new year.

Pritzker and Welch have often been aligned, and the billionaire governor has poured millions into campaign accounts controlled by Welch.

Johnson, meanwhile, in various media interviews on Tuesday, downplayed Pritzker’s portrayal of their distanced relationship.

Bartley said that Johnson’s team’s “recollection differs in terms of our communication with the governor’s office” but that “the mayor is clear that in our current climate, it’s more important than ever for the city, county and state to work together.”

In his interview on “Chicago Tonight,” the mayor said Chicago will seek state support to uplift public transit and education, specifically for special education, bilingual education and student transportation.

“All of us are committed, as a party, to ensure that there are progressive revenue streams that allow for the critical investments that we need to actually manifest,” Johnson said.

Contact Amanda Vinicky: @AmandaVinicky | [email protected]

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