Wgn - The Rick Pearson Podcast

On the final edition of The Sunday Spin, Rick Pearson holds a special round-table featuring Bob Secter of Crain’s; Brian Bernardoni, founder of Aurelius Public Affairs; Eric Elk, government relations director for HNTB; and Amanda Vinicky, WTTW Ch.-11 correspondent. The crew take time to reflect on the current state of the nation; take a look […]

On this edition of The Sunday Spin, Rick Pearson speaks with Former Baltimore Police Official and current President of Strategia Consulting, Eric Kowalczyk about his tenure at the Baltimore PD, as it coincided with the Freddie Gray Riots in 2015. Eric’s also the author of “Politics of Crisis: An Insiders Perspective to Prevent Public Policy […]

Rick Pearson talks to David Yepsen, host of “Iowa Press” and former Des Moines Register National Political Writer, about the nation’s political environment. David and Rick touch on the recent protests and the need for change that the country is looking for; the upcoming election and the strategies candidates may need to rethink; and more.

Rick Pearson is joined by Democratic State Rep. Ann Williams to discuss a legislative response to calls for police reform and reinvestment in communities hit by looting. Ann also talks about the Clean Energy Jobs Act and what it could mean in terms of new employment opportunities in a post-COVID-19 environment.

Rick Pearson speaks with Former Baltimore Police Official and current President of Strategia Consulting, Eric Kowalczyk about his tenure at the Baltimore PD, as it included the Freddie Gray Riots in 2015. Eric’s also the author of “Politics of Crisis: An Insiders Perspective to Prevent Public Policy Disasters,” and shares information about the book, the […]

On this edition of The Sunday Spin Rick speaks with Lissa Druss, Founder and CEO of Strategia Consulting, about the Our American Voice civics education program for students. Lissa highlights the creativity teachers are using in order to get their students involved; and also touches on the positive impact the program is having on participants. […]

Rick Pearson is joined by Mark Maxwell, statehouse correspondent for WCIA-TV Ch. 3 in Champaign and Nexstar stations across the state including WGN, to discuss the frustrations/intentions of various groups surrounding the protests and trying to figure out where we go from here. Mark also touches on the recent legislative session, Covid-19, and more.

Rick Pearson speaks with Chris Johnson, Head of the new National Association of Theatre Owners of Illinois and CEO of Classic Cinemas about the desire of movie houses to reopen. Chris explains the process of social distancing in a movie theater, the time needed to bring in new product – film wise, and much more.

Rick Pearson is joined by Democratic State Rep. and chairman of the powerful House Executive Committee, Emanuel “Chris” Welch to discuss the past session and what’s next. Chris highlights several issues dealt with during the session including the overall need for a state budget, the casino bill, and more. Chris also takes a moment to […]

Rick Pearson is joined by Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza to discuss and debunk various rumors surrounding the state’s books, raises for legislative members, and more. Susana also takes a moment to discuss the recent protests and injustice that Black and Brown people throughout the country have, and continue, to face.

Rick Pearson speaks with Lissa Druss, Founder and CEO of Strategia Consulting, about the Our American Voice civics education program for students. Lissa highlights the creativity teachers are using in order to get their students involved; and also touches on the positive impact the program is having on participants. To learn more about Our American […]

On this edition of The Sunday Spin Rick speaks with Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington about the legislature’s special pandemic session and what lawmakers did and didn’t do. Bill expresses the shared disappointment of many legislatures surrounding a lack of thorough discussion when it comes to how to kickstart the state’s economy […]

Mike Militech, Statehouse Correspondent for Quincy Media, joins Rick for a review of the legislative session. Both men share their shock of seeing the session conclude in such a short amount of time; touch on the issue of local funding and the impact it’s having on essential workers and first responders; and more.

Rick Pearson speaks with Michael Carbonargi, Commissioner on the Cook County Board of Review, about the county’s efforts to provide some property tax relief for homeowners. Michael touches the recently granted waiver of late fees for 60 days for the 2nd installment of the Property Tax Bill; emphasizes the importance of property taxes for the […]

Rick Pearson speaks with Michael Jacobson, President and CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, as he fill us in on the state of hotels in our new pandemic era and how hotel operators have chipped in to help first responders. Michael explains the risks that hotels are facing during this time, the relationship […]

Rick is joined by Democratic State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz as she shares the pride that many legislative members are feeling from accomplishing so much in such a short amount of time. Sara discusses the various precautions everyone took in order to continue safe social distancing procedures and the importance of using the tools available to […]

Rick speaks with Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington about the legislature’s special pandemic session. Bill expresses the shared disappointment of many legislatures surrounding a lack of thorough discussion when it comes to exploring alternative/highly effective re-opening procedures. He also touches on the state budget, concerns surrounding the CARES Act, and more.

On this edition of The Sunday Spin Rick speaks with Sam Toia, President and CEO of The Illinois Restaurant Association about whether there’s any help from Washington and what will restaurants look like in a re-opened economy. Sam explains the restaurant recovery fund that the association is asking for; details the impact of the grants/loans […]

Rick converses with Doug Finke, statehouse reporter for the State Journal-Register of Springfield about his take on lawmakers coming back in session. Doug touches on the various items that will be addressed this week, the precautions being taken in order for everyone to meet safely, and much more.

Rick Pearson speaks with IL State Treasurer Mike Frerichs about state efforts to help residents and businesses during the economic crisis. He’s also from Champaign and shares his view of how people are dealing with the coronavirus downstate.