Note: You can watch Lightfoot speak to both chambers of the state legislature, at their respective times, in the video player above.
Chicago Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot traveled to Springfield Wednesday to spend two days in the state capital, meeting with lawmakers and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Pritzker was expected to greet Lightfoot at the governor's office in the Capitol building at 1:30 p.m. CST, according to his public schedule.
Lightfoot planned to meet with Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, as well as House Speaker Mike Madigan and Minority Leader Jim Durkin on Wednesday, her spokeswoman said, before addressing the full House of Representatives at around at 3:15 p.m.
Lightfoot and Pritzker had dinner together, along with their wives, at the Pritzkers' Chicago home on Friday, both saying afterward that they looked forward to working together in the future.
On Thursday, Lightfoot was expected to meet with Senate President John Cullerton, Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford and Minority Leader Bill Brady. She was scheduled to speak to the Senate at 11:15 a.m.
Lightfoot also planned to speak to reporters following each address to the chambers of the legislature. Her visit to Springfield marks the beginning of what she has said would be a robust strategy when it comes to her administration's presence in state government, as well as at the federal level.
"Being physically present and having people know who I am and start to build those relationships - I know some of the people in the delegation for sure but it's important that they know me and that I start to have a physical presence in Washington, D.C., as well as Springfield," Lightfoot said in an interview Thursday.
A relative newcomer to state and Chicago politics, Lightfoot has never before held elected office - making her visit to Springfield all the more important in hitting the ground running once she takes office in May.
In that regard, Lightfoot said Thursday that "there has to be a level of coordination" between her staff and that of outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel, with whom she said she felt "very comfortable" that she would have a "very good working relationship through the transition period."
