The Spin: Local Dems to join Secretary Pete Buttigieg to tour CTA, suburban freight center | Pritzker’s private conversation with Biden, Rice on crime | Yes, Lightfoot and Burke were together at a news conference today

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be in town tomorrow, the latest White House effort to rally support for President Biden’s $1.2 trillion roads and bridges infrastructure plan.

It’s a chance to showcase how federal money has already helped with the region’s infrastructure projects and pitch how Biden’s plan, if passed, could help move projects from the drawing board to reality.

With stops at the 95th/Dan Ryan station as well as a modal freight center in suburban Bedford Park, his visit also offers some photo opportunities for local Democrats up for reelection next year. Road and bridge projects have long been one of the tangibles elected leaders can point to on the campaign trail when constituents ask, “What have you done for me lately?”

Biden’s also billing the infrastructure plan as an economic driver that will create good-paying union jobs, another tangible for an electorate that looks to their wallet when casting a ballot.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is back from his White House visit, where he joined a bipartisan group of elected leaders who spoke with Biden about the infrastructure plan. The governor also spoke privately with the president and one of his top advisers about surging crime in Chicago and other Illinois cities.

This morning, Pritzker signed landmark legislation prohibiting police from using deceptive tactics while interrogating minors. Illinois becomes the first state in the nation to ban the practice. He also signed a measure that paves the way for awarding 185 additional recreational marijuana dispensary licenses; the new law aims to fix the landmark legislation to legalize recreational pot by giving minority-owned businesses greater access to the predominantly white industry.

Meantime, the Tribune’s Rick Pearson writes that the Federal Election Commission has ruled that U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly “cannot be involved in raising or spending money for state and local office candidates in her new role as Illinois Democratic chair, relegating her largely to figurehead status within the party.”

The ruling is tied to fundraising rules she must abide by as a federally elected officeholder. And while she can raise money for U.S. House and Senate candidates, that represents a small fraction of the party’s overall fundraising — the primary function of the state party chair.

And, yes, that was indicted Chicago Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, attending Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s news conference today for the groundbreaking of the Chicago Park District’s new headquarters on the Southwest Side — in his ward.

Earlier this month, she took aim at his legal woes by calling him “Burger King Ed” — a reference to the federal indictment alleging Burke extorted a Burger King restaurant in his ward. He’s denied the charges.

The mayor also alleged he was behind an effort to undermine her after he and 19 other members of City Council called a special City Council meeting to cross-examine her handpicked top cop about whether his strategies to tamp down surging crime were working.

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Buttigieg’s agenda when he lands in Chicago tomorrow

Buttigieg’s Chicago visit will include a tour of CTA projects with a line of Democratic politicians in tow, including Mayor Lightfoot, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, and U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush and Jesús “Chuy” Garcia of Chicago, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation news release. CTA President Dorval Carter also will be on hand.

According to his press team, Buttigieg wants to “meet with workers and see recent accessibility and modernization improvements to a major transit hub.” He’ll hold a news conference at the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line stop to talk up Biden’s infrastructure package.

He’ll also meet with labor and rail leaders at the CSX freight site in Bedford Park, and gather with Gov. Pritzker, and U.S. Reps. Marie Newman, of La Grange, and Mike Quigley, of Chicago, for a news conference afterward.

IRS starts sending out Child Tax Credit disbursements today

The Internal Revenue Service began disbursing Child Tax Credit payments today to eligible families with children ages 17 or younger.

President Biden has touted the payments, which will average $423 per family, as the key to halving child poverty rates, the Associated Press reminds, though critics question whether this is the correct path to help the nation’s poor. Others are concerned, too, that the government may not be reaching some of the nation’s most impoverished residents.

Illinois data points: More than 1.3 million families in Illinois will receive money under the credit in July, the White House says, with more than $547 million headed to eligible households.

Pritzker talks about crime in private meeting with Biden, top adviser

My Tribune colleague Dan Petrella talked with Gov. Pritzker just after his meeting with Biden at the White House.

Pritzker said he took the opportunity to talk with Biden about rising gun violence in Chicago and other cities, and work the Illinois State Police is doing with federal authorities and local law enforcement to address the issue, Petrella writes.

Petrella also notes: “The discussion on violence came during a 30-minute private conversation with Pritzker, the president and Susan Rice, Biden’s top domestic adviser, the governor said. Pritzker and the president also briefly discussed the violence problem during Biden’s visit to Illinois a week ago.” Full story from Petrella and the Tribune’s Bill Ruthhart here.

Related: Lightfoot offers $1 million in rewards for illegal gun tips: ‘I recognize that people are scared,’ the Tribune’s Gregory Pratt writes.

Also: Illinois becomes first state to ban police from lying to minors during interrogations, Petrella writes.

Illinois to award 185 more pot dispensary licenses under measure that aims to boost minority access to mostly white industry, Petrella writes in this piece.

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Cook County property tax bills can’t be delayed by questions about how senior discounts were calculated, Kim Foxx says after uproar by clerk and treasurer

From the Tribune’s Alice Yin: The Cook County clerk and treasurer must continue to prepare the property tax bills that are due out this summer, despite questions about the validity of senior exemptions, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has advised.

“In a letter to County Clerk Karen Yarbrough’s legal counsel this week, Foxx wrote that Yarbrough and Treasurer Maria Pappas lack authority to hold up the finalization of 2020 tax bills after Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office finished its computations.

“That is despite an investigation by the Sun-Times that reported his office made numerous errors in calculating tax breaks intended for low-income seniors. Kaegi has attributed the problem to policies from ‘previous administrations’ and, in a Wednesday statement, lamented that the dust-up was not resolved earlier when the clerk received the tax assessment files a week ago.” Full story here.

Protections for Chicago renters advance to City Council, with Illinois’ temporary evictions ban due to expire soon, the Tribune’s John Byrne writes.

FEC’s ruling reins in state Democratic Party Chair Robin Kelly’s role

The Federal Election Commission’s ruling today prohibiting Congresswoman Kelly from raising money and spending decisions for state and local candidates as state Democratic Party Chair “vastly reduces Kelly’s role and influence as chair,” Pearson writes.

It’s a far cry from the muscle her predecessor, Michael Madigan, flexed. He “used the chairmanship for years to retain power and ensure loyalty in raising money and doling out the party’s state funds to keep Democratic House majorities,” Pearson reminds.

Timing: “Democrats sought the FEC ruling on an expedited basis as the party begins to gear up for 2022 elections,” Pearson writes. “The party has a grip on all statewide offices as well as majorities in the General Assembly and congressional delegation. Those offices, as well as Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth’s seat, are on next year’s ballot.”

In a statement, Kelly suggested the ruling doesn’t derail her efforts to recalibrate state party operations. The ruling, she said, “affirms my vision for a new Democratic Party of Illinois that encourages more voices to be involved in all aspects of the party.”

“As the first woman and first woman of color elected to chair DPI, I believe that a broader coalition of perspectives can only strengthen our party and help us elect more Democrats up and down the ballot,” she said.

Thanks for reading The Spin, the Tribune’s politics newsletter. Sign up here to have it delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons. Have a tip? Email host Lisa Donovan at ldonovan@chicagotribune.com .

Twitter @byldonovan