City Council
Hemp THC Products Banned (With Exceptions)
Wednesday's City Council meeting saw passage of an ordinance banning most hemp-derived THC products, months before a federal ban takes effect. The 32-16 vote, championed by 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, carves out exceptions for beverages, pet products, and CBD offerings.
Under the new rules, licensed cannabis retailers can sell hemp-infused beverages, powders, and crystalline additives to customers over 21—provided they contain no more than 10 milligrams. Bars, restaurants with liquor licenses, and packaged goods stores can also sell these products.
Pension Payment Standoff Continues
A bloc of 32 alderpersons who rejected Mayor Johnson's corporate head tax and took control of the budget process are demanding explanations for why the administration made only a half-payment of a $260 million pension advance. The alternative city budget mandated the full advance to stave off another costly bond rating reduction.
Instead, the Johnson administration paid $130 million last week, promising to pay the remainder later this year. Wednesday's meeting saw introduction of a resolution to summon Budget Director Annette Guzman, departing CFO Jill Jaworski, and Comptroller Michael Belsky before the Finance Committee.
Inspector General Flags $26.5M in Unauthorized Overtime
Retiring Inspector General Deborah Witzburg released a troubling report finding the city paid $26.5 million in overtime to nearly 1,100 employees who weren't eligible for the payments. Nearly 25% of the unauthorized payments went to just 18 employees, with individual overtime ranging from $250,000 to $700,000. The city has apparently known about this problem for over a decade.
Humane Wildlife Management
Rat Contraceptive Pilot Continues in Lincoln Park
While there's no new data to report, the 43rd Ward's rat contraceptive pilot program continues its yearlong study. The $40,000 privately-funded initiative—a partnership between Ald. Timmy Knudsen's office, Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Bird Alliance, and Streets and Sanitation—launched last August following the rodenticide-related deaths of Lincoln Park's beloved great horned owl family.
The program uses non-toxic pellets containing thunder god vine extract, which interrupts ovulation in female rats and inhibits sperm development in males. Researchers are monitoring camera footage on three "experiment" blocks versus three control blocks. If successful, Knudsen hopes to pitch a citywide program. For reference, a similar pilot in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood achieved a 56-70% reduction in rat population over 16 months.
A quieter day on our core beats. The Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy is expected to meet in early February—we'll watch for any lead or sustainability items on the agenda. Meanwhile, the Aurora lead testing results we mentioned previously serve as a regional reminder: more than 10% of tested homes exceeded action levels, triggering mandatory remediation steps.