>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Reaction to the school board elections and what comes next with Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis.

Gates.

The office responsible for assessing property values in Cook County has a new leader.

Pat Hynes joins us with his plans for the future.

>> Instead of folding for just one candidate banks that starting with their favorite.

If nobody gets more as Alaskans await the results of their razor-thin Senate race, we explain how ranked choice voting works and the pros and cons of it.

First off tonight, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is on his way out.

Welch who served since January 2021. released a statement touting the achievements of the Democratic Caucus under his leadership but saying he would step aside a group of 26 Democratic current and incoming representatives this week signed an open letter saying that, quote, Over the course of the last few months, we have grown increasingly convinced that the House Democratic Caucus needs new leadership.

We represent a broad spectrum of our caucus and each have come to this decision for our own reasons.

In response, Welch says late today that, quote, we passed historic legislation on transit, cannabis and energy and secured greater investments in education.

We defended vulnerable seats and grew our majority in every election.

Under my leadership building a historic house Democratic majority.

I'm proud of this work, but I serve at the pleasure of the caucus and he goes on to say that he looks forward to assuring in new leader.

Well, it has been under heavy fire over how his office handled harassment claims against former lawmaker and Welch his own communications with one of the complainants, the 26 Dems who came out against him would have been more than enough to strip Welch of the speaker position unless he picked up Republican votes.

The big gains made in the stock market yesterday were wiped out today and then some by a big sell-off in AI stocks.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite fell more than 5 and a half percent today as investors grappled with the possibility that Democrats midterm gains could put the brakes on massive data center.

Bill doubts the S P 500 fell more than 4% and the Dow lost more than 1800 points or over 3% for each index.

It's the worst day since April Twenty-twenty 5 when President Trump announced sweeping global tariffs.

Up next, one on one with the head of the Chicago teachers union on election results, school funding and more.

She joins us right after this.

>> Chicago tonight is made possible in part by the Alexander and John Nichols family.

The Joyce Foundation.

The Pope Brothers Foundation.

And the support of these donuts.

>> The first ever fully elected school board is taking shape in Chicago with just a few races.

Still to be called.

And after a campaign marked by millions in spending in dueling union endorsements, one thing is clear with a split board members will need to find a way to bridge some of the clear divisions that emerged that'll happen as the district manages a budget shortfall.

If state lawmakers don't pass additional funding for this year.

Joining us to discuss the outcome of the races for school board and its president is Stacy Davis.

Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union and the Illinois Federation of Teachers.

Stacy, welcome back.

Thank you.

Would mean to you to be able to cast a vote in school board election this week.

you know, Tuesday was a long time.

Come in, as I've said to you before many times.

>> It is only thing that I've worked on for the last 15 years of my life is bringing that level of democracy.

2 families here in this city.

And I'm very happy that we had the opportunity to do that.

The union and our community groups to people in the neighborhoods.

They this and have this for some time and they finally got that opportunity.

That was All that said, you know, we talked about like we've been talking about like the millions of dollars that went into the races.

>> Any concerns about the level of money in politics that are getting sort of infuse into the system by the Chicago politics that are going to come along with having a race like that?

>> Well, I would say for me is just the redone dun story.

The individuals who poured millions of dollars into the race for also the individuals who are staunchly opposed to legislation passing Springfield for years.

They were Stacia.

Lee opposed to the legislation.

The finance requirements, voting requirements.

And so like most opponents, they take their game from one court to the next court.

So if they can stop the elected school board, then they shaped it with their millions.

>> Ctu made 15 endorsement in this race.

9 of those candidates, one.

What are your takeaways from victories will tend where we're counting the 10th once hill, but we feel very confident about the My takeaways from the races that the type of billionaire money that visited us in this race should be legal.

You should not be able to buy democracy.

A school board race at is very local level should be about the families and the community that want to see public schools perform a particular service for the children in those neighborhoods.

We didn't get to see that.

We had out estate billionaires from the North Shore and all over this country.

Weigh in on something that is hyper local.

We need controls on that.

I think what we also found, though, is that teachers are very well respected in the city of Chicago, the doors that were knocked, the phone calls that were named 8 people were very clear about respecting, loving and honoring teachers.

And so both of those things should be studied a bit more.

>> Ctu is not a billionaire, but you do all he do have your own pockets that you that you can use to support the candidates that you support.

Yeah, you know, people have tried to make that false equivalency that CTU and billionaires are the same.

>> Actually, the Chicago teachers Union is a constellation of 30,000 workers and the Chicago public schools, their teachers, their paraprofessionals, their clinicians.

There are people who work with your children every day in this city and they pull together $5.20, dollars in order to make our politics happened in a way that reflects the needs of the public school system.

And so that's a false equivalency.

I think that has been promoted by billionaires that said for all the money that goes into the race is the positions themselves are not paid positions.

Their volunteer do think that impacts was able to run.

And should that be different?

Will the billionaire's were the one who said that those people should be paid?

>> To make the job less attractive?

Again, this has been a struggle for the last 15 years.

So what's being covered today is very different than what was, you know, be a cover 15 years before this, billionaire interest did not want democracy on the Chicago public schools and therefore, when they lost in the state house, they took it to the ballot box and money does make a difference.

People power also makes a difference on proud that the 10 districts that listen to teachers.

Listen to parents listened to community members.

We're able to do so without the noise of the billionaire class.

And it starts the discussion to start a discussion on how we get better lunches for young people inside the school building it.

It Ban says the discussion on 3 year-old Pre-K.

It advances the discussion on sustainable community schools and I think it shuts the door on school closings in the way that the billionaire class has relied on it in the past common ground collective.

That's the pact that posed CTU backed candidates releasing a statement saying that Eladio Dominguez who of course he to support it.

>> Was, quote, soundly repudiated.

The statement went on to say, quote, Davis Gates ended election night by threatening a teacher strike.

A troubling response that underscored just how decisively Chicago voters have rejected the Johnson Davis Gates agenda and their grip on the Chicago public Schools.

>> Yeah, that's a political response to something that is about how we resource our schools.

They need funding.

They're underfunded by the state of Illinois by billions of dollars as our other school districts all around the state.

I think that the hyper focus of Michael Sacks and his billionaire class is to keep us embroiled in a discussion that's not about sustainable community schools.

That's not about smaller class sizes.

That's what teachers want to talk about.

That's why you saw Karen's a core retired teacher, Debbie Pope, a retired teacher both grandmothers say that they want to be a part of the school board that actually offers the things that they needed when they were in the classroom.

>> setting within saying the billionaires aside because of a pivot to another educator who we heard from yesterday, President-elect Jessica bigs.

We had her on the show last night.

Let's listen to some of that.

>> I have worked to build a broad coalition that's truly representative of Chicago.

And I think we really succeeded in doing that throughout the campaign.

You know, I'm proud to have the support SEIU that.

I represent some of the lowest wage workers in CPS, the Chicago Federation of Labor.

I think in the end it was more than 20 other people from across the city who supported the campaign.

Cook County Board, President Toni Preckwinkle.

5 of my elected board colleagues.

So when put together a coalition like that, I think you're really able to demonstrate to voters how you can bring people together.

>> Okay.

So maybe not necessarily a part of the same coalition, but you are both What do you think they're working relationship will be like with the president-elect for the have to be a part of the same coalition that was an election.

This is about offering Chicago schools an opportunity to give our students a world world-class education.

Right now we have sports teams that it cannot get to sporting events because they can't get buses or they can't afford buses.

We have to get serious about what's important young people are important.

People talk about literacy rates.

I want to talk about school Bet you if you match later see rates to the number of libraries that are not in our public schools, it would be an even Steven type of situation.

What we need to do is fill the gaps.

The conversations and commercials and our mellor are for the political class.

The discussions about how you offer a world-class education lunches, protections for students who are unhoused.

Those are the discussions that my union mine members, the parents that I know one a sting.

So I look forward to working with President elect bigs on those things.

I do draw the line, however, at hurting black children.

And we know that school closings in the way that they've been done in the city have her black children.

There's a ton of research on it.

It makes for a more violent neighborhood.

It makes for a longer commute to schools.

It makes for disconnection from parent to the school community.

We have to do better by those students.

The district has already pledged to do so with the black student success plan.

I look forward to expanding and resourcing that I look forward to creating a space where we talk about what our children need without the specter of taking away what they have already.

So we have to talk about the state because the current CPS budget relies on that additional 150 million dollars from the state General Assembly is, of course, going to be back in session for its veto session later this month.

>> Previously, the outgoing House Speaker Emanuel, Chris Welch on had announced or had said that the district could count on something but of course, now we know that he's going to be stepping down.

You know, what do you think this does complicate plans you make of all I think it comes clase plans for everyone in Illinois that just the Illinois Federation of Teachers are the Chicago teachers union.

It complicates it for everyone.

Speaker Welch has been a champion of public education.

Well, before he was in the General Assembly.

So he had receipts on his work.

So that is a loss, I think, for the state of Illinois, definitely for black people all around the state of Illinois who were happy that we had a black speaker of the >> I you know, I won't hide.

My disappointment is what I'll say to that.

>> But beyond that, what is also important is that throughout the state of Illinois schools are underfunded, they're underfunded and Peoria.

They're underfunded in Quincy.

They're underfunded in Lake County.

They're underfunding in Champaign.

They're underfunded everywhere.

So this is not issue of to Chicago.

So the state and that had to come, correct.

Okay.

right.

And of course, we know that the union has a lobby day coming up during the veto session a couple of weeks.

Best of luck.

I'm sure we'll be hearing more from you has safety Davis, Gates, Chicago Teachers Union.

Thanks for joining us.

Thank >> Up next, meet the new leader of a key Cook County office.

>> Its UK shun reporting on Chicago tonight is brought to you in part by press forward.

Chicago.

>> Cook County has a new assessor, Democrat Pat Hines won handedly in Tuesday's contest beating out Libertarian candidate Nicos that Solis.

The office is tasked with delivering accurate and transparent assessments of all resideial and commercial properties.

Heinz calls the system broken and mismanaged and vows to fix it.

Joining us now with more on how he plans to do that is Pat Hines, Cook County Assessor Elect.

Congrats, thank you for joining us.

Thank you for having so you bring with you yourself.

5 years of experience as the Lions Township assessor.

What are the lessons and knowledge that you bring with you from from that position to this new one?

Well, at head, thousands of tax payer interactions and understanding of what's what's been driving the tax payer crazy about how are.

>> Executing a property tax here in Cook County.

And so I have an understanding that each one of these numbers that we come up with each one of these assessments has a human on the other end that, you know, this is the most personal asset that most people wrapped around their home and people expect.

And does deserve stable, predictable property taxes so they can make plans so that they can absorb that property tax burden that we're asking them to bear Cook County's little bit bigger.

The lines Township.

What do you think you'll need to do differently in this role to effectively manage the difference in size in the political system as well.

>> I was at the county assessor's office for 20 some years before I went out to the lines Township ssor's office.

So I am familiar with the county assessor's office and I think that a change in how we're going to do the assessments.

I like to joke that we're gonna make the county assessor's office boring.

We're just gonna go back to our generally accepted appraisal principles.

We're going to follow the market and for the most part, with rare exception, the underlying market value of property moves at a steady, slow, boring pace.

And the assessments should move at a steady, slow, boring pace.

And so we're gonna be students of the market and we're going to reflect the market to saying folks shouldn't be seeing massive jumps in there and they're assessed value unless they've had wild appreciation and their value, which is really rare.

No, they should not have to.

If they didn't enjoy a giant swing in the market value, then they shouldn't have to suffer a giant swing in their assessed value.

>> Once installed formally, what will be your main immediate priorities?

>> Well, in the beginning, we're going to have to complete the outgoing assessors, 8th assessment.

So so that won't be completed will finish that.

And then there's a backlog of certificates of air and we would like to 0 out and then we have to turn around and assess the city of Chicago, which is the largest of the 3 trials that we have to do.

So we do a lot of preparation and planning to make sure that we hit the ground running because we want those tax bills to be out on time.

That's that's an incredible waste of taxpayer money.

When we get relate with the tax bill.

So we want to make sure that we're efficient, that we're on a well run office.

Therre dynamic in answering our tax payers problems, but but that we're also able to complete our work on time on the subject of those of those tardy tax bills.

Where do you see the?

Because we've heard from multiple different offices that all have a role.

>> In, you assessing collecting all of that is sending out the Bills, Cook County's taxes.

Where do you see the breakdown in efficiency where those bills are always going out late?

Yeah.

Well, what worth foundation, Ali, the first in our duties.

So when we're late, then we back everyone outside.

So >> our job should be done by Thanksgiving.

And when we're late, then we're either asking other agencies that follow us to to hustle up get their work done a little quicker than they probably should or well, you know, we should be responsible for for having the tax will be light.

So we're going to we're going to be laser focused making sure that we get our work done by Thanksgiving so that we can hand it off to the next agency that takes it so that the system can be on time.

>> When you visit just after winning your primary, we talked about need to correct the error rate for property tax assessments.

How do you plan to get that started?

What does that look like?

What we're going to best since a little more human capital to be out in the field to actually gather some of the data.

So, you know, you fundamentally you have to have a very good grasp on the built environment that you assessing.

So if you think about every time a hammer swings or shovel goes on the ground in this county, it's the county assessor's duty to capture all that change and add those properties to the tax rolls.

And we have to do that work every year.

So doing The hard work and the tenacity that it takes to get that work done to make sure that we're keeping up with the change that happens every year in this county.

As mentioned, you've called out your predecessor for its K king for his office's lack of accessibility and accountability.

How do you plan on ensuring that your office is accessible and accountable?

>> What we plan on investing in the folks that work there.

And so I'm very excited that that some of the talent that we've been able to attract to the office and some of the education that we're going to offer to our frontline employees.

And so, you know, empowering your employees to be able to answer a tax payer issue.

The first time really makes it more efficient.

So you don't have to have a tax payer calling over and over are working for years to try and resolve the problem.

So being a little more efficient, we'll go a long way cutting down on some of the wasteful effort that we have.

>> The assessor's office is part of a greater system.

As I mentioned, you will be working closely with the Board of Review, the Illinois Department of Review, the Cook County clerk and the Cook County Treasurer.

plan on building relationships with those other offices.

Well, by treating them with respect and dignity and approaching them as a professional.

And so, you know, we are foundation, Ali, the first part of the assessment system.

But we are not the only part of the assessment system.

So it's important that we produce a credible assessment that we can defend and that we can hand it to partner agencies.

And if they have questions that we can.

Give them the information that they need so they can do their job.

But foundation Ali, the better that we do in producing the assessment.

Let's work.

It is for those that follow us this time.

Last year, homeowners are contending with late as we've discussed and higher than usual property tax bills.

>> Treasurer's office has said declining values for downtown commercial properties.

Shifting the tax burden on to homeowners.

KD argue that the property tax system favors corporations and that that needs to change.

Do you agree with that assessment what can your office to to decrease that forget it was an oversimplification of the story.

If you look at the Central Business district in Chicago, 2 thirds of it are tied up in a tiff district.

And so those TIF districts really absorb wild swings in value.

So, you know, just because a central business Office District Office building loses value does not necessarily translate.

And a one for one shift those tech that expert and out to the neighborhoods now the TIF collecting a little less money that otherwise would.

it was an oversimplification how our system works and the one thing that I'm most excited about is that lever that we have influence on us.

The assessor creating an environment where we can attract capital and equity to come to our region and start building.

So I'm very excited that we're going to open up the Office of Economic Development to give a little bit of clarity to those who invest in our county and get people building again because the easiest way to lower the property tax rate in the property tax burden everyone as they have more buildings that are here in Cook County to share the burden to help do that lifting.

So, you know, we have a shortage of housing in this county.

We had runaway inflation and rent and those that supply and demand in balance.

And those can be solved by building.

And so I'm very excited trying to attract investment back to our county and to get people building All right.

Best of luck to At Heinz brand new Cook County Thanks for joining us.

for having me.

Up next, we explain.

Explain away.

Illinois voters could cast their ballots differently.

The U.S.

Senate seat in Alaska is still up for grabs and is the focus of much national reporting >> once all the votes are counted, if no candidate has 50% plus one vote, they then go to a ranked choice voting system here in Illinois, Evanston voters approved ranked choice voting for local elections a few years ago, though it has yet to be implemented.

So what is it and how does it work?

We're about to tell you in tonight's edition of WT TW News explains.

>> People are obsessed with rankings.

Best drummers of all time.

The NCAA top 25 feet local reporters.

You name it will rank it.

Now growing number of jurisdictions are playing the art of ranking to voting.

So how does ranked choice voting work?

Well, consider voting for just one candidate race that starting with their favorite.

If nobody gets more than 50% of the first-place votes, the election goes to instant runoff.

Eliminating the bottom can every distributing their votes to the next preference.

>> Say the race is between the classic Chicago hot Dog.

>> Deep dish pizza?

Italian beef and Greek hero out of 100st place.

Vote Pa Thompson is for 8.30, Italian beef 20 and he wrote in a conventional election case not so fast with ranked choice voting since no candidate won 50%.

It's on to round 2.

The euro is eliminated and everyone we think first now has their second choice instead.

So who did the euro lovers vote for as their number 2?

Well, let's talk to lot talking.

And notice in the U.S.

none of Euros fans ranked hotdog second Fico defeats not and to be.

>> Now it's hot top 40 pizza.

35 feet.

25 still no one has cracked 50% because beef is out photo.

Get redistribute us hot dog picks up 5 votes.

But he took up the other 20 in 55 45.

>> What's likely make the right call for >> Advocates argue ranked choice voting is more Democratic and it forces candidates to build coalitions.

Detractors cite voter confusion and lower voter turnout.

Among other things At Andrea Joyce.

>> And voters in Alaska were just asked to be a referendum if they wanted to get rid of ranked choice voting by a narrow margin, they voted to keep the process.

Check out our website for more of our Emmy award-winning series W T Tw News explains that is at W T Tw Dot com Slash explains.

And that's our show for this Thursday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5.37, for the week in review.

Now for all of us here in Chicago Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed captioning is made possible by Clifford and law