Topspin A proposal sidelined by Ald. Ed Burke that aims to increase property taxes on seven downtown buildings — including two his law firm represents — looks like it will get a hearing after all. The measure, which resulted in a city ethics panel investigating but clearing Burke of a conflict-of-interest violation, is up for assignment Tuesday at the City Council Rules Committee meeting. Ald. Ricardo Munoz, 22nd, said he and Rules Committee Chairman Michelle Harris, 8th, have agreed to assign the matter to the Budget Committee for a hearing sometime next month. Whatever the outcome, Munoz may already have achieved a political aim. Munoz was backing Chris Kennedy for governor and Fritz Kaegi for assessor in last week's Democratic primary. Kennedy lost, but Kaegi won. Both candidates made an issue of Cook County's broken property tax assessment system, as documented in "The Tax Divide," an investigative series by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois. Munoz's proposed "order" would require Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration to take steps to increase the property tax assessments on the seven properties, which Munoz says are valued for less than half their real worth — resulting a shift in property taxes paid away from the building owners and onto other taxpayers. When Munoz introduced the measure in January and proposed that the Housing Committee consider it, Burke called for the proposal to go to the Finance Committee he controls. That resulted in the measure being sent to the Rules Committee, which is supposed to resolve assignment conflicts but often becomes a purgatory where legislation withers on the vine. Because Burke's law firm, Klafter & Burke, had represented two of the buildings' owners in previous property tax appeals cases, questions arose as to whether his calling of Finance amounted to a conflict of interest. The city Ethics Board concluded that Burke had not seen an actual copy of the ordinance when he made the move to assign it to the committee he controls and did not know which buildings were listed. Burke pledged to withdraw his motion to refer the matter to the Finance Committee. What kind of reception the proposed order gets at the Budget Committee remains to be seen. The panel is chaired by 34th Ward Ald. Carrie Austin, a Democratic party regular and Emanuel ally who backed incumbent Joe Berrios in the assessor's race. But Munoz said Monday he believes he'll at least get a fair hearing. (Hal Dardick) What's on tap *Mayor Emanuel is scheduled to attend an Apple event at Lane Tech. *Gov. Bruce Rauner will be at the same Apple event. *Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is holding a 2 p.m. hearing in Chicago where people "personally affected by gun violence" will tell their stories. Madigan is pushing to override Republican Gov. Rauner's veto of a bill to license gun dealers. The bill did not pass the General Assembly by veto-proof margins, so more votes would have to be rounded up for an override to be successful. *A slew of Chicago City Council committees will hold hearings ahead of Wednesday's monthly meeting. *U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is in Chicago to talk about federal biomedical research funding. What we're writing *Emanuel's O'Hare modernization bond deal gets City Council committee approval. *CPS' huge pension debt just got $1 billion deeper. *Dan Webb, former Chicago U.S. attorney, turns down Trump legal team. *Chicago aldermen want to limit release of condo owner emails, phone numbers to reverse state law. *Chicago police to get power to break car windows to free trapped animals. *Cook County sues Facebook, Cambridge Analytica after alleged misuse of millions of Illinoisans' data. *Elgin city manager reprimanded for "bro hug"; staffer said he felt he was being choked. *Parolee charged with trying to bring marijuana into Cook County Jail. What we're reading *Stormy Daniels' lawyer saw "soft underbelly of politics" while working for Rahm Emanuel. *Former Chicagoan, Afghan war veteran arrives in Mexico after deportation. *Meet the guy guiding Loyola's Sister Jean through NCAA tournament. Follow the money *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *U.S., allies expel Russian diplomats over poisoning of ex-spy in Britain. *Stormy Daniels accuses Trump's lawyer of defamation. *Suburban voters angry with Trump threaten GOP hold on House, WaPo says. NYT version of midterm elections story. *Can Defense Secretary Mattis keep Trump from a war, NYT Magazine asks. | 
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