The state continues its year-long struggle to resolve its unfunded pension liability, recently estimated at $111 billion, as new revenues elude IL amid political standoff and pension-restructuring efforts failed in the state Supreme Court.
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Republican leaders said they were disappointed Democrats were instead considering a $7 billion out-of-balance budget that Rauner is expected to veto.
Lawmakers worked from morning until midnight in Springfield on Tuesday, but did not agree on a budget.
The state has relied on court orders and consent decrees for funding over the course of the impasse and has failed to make payments for certain schools and services because money was not appropriated in a budget.
The second proposal the group mentioned would fund essential government services, including corrections, public safety, and universities.
There was plenty of vitriol to go around as Rauner slammed Democrats for “failing the people of Illinois” by rejecting pro-business reforms he says would bring more jobs and raise family incomes.
“These Democrats have an opporutunity in front of them to change the trajectory of our state today”, he said. “I’ll talk about new revenue, but we can’t just force a tax hike with no reforms”, Rauner said. He then proposed the same idea this week.
Rauner has not yet decided whether he’ll sign the $700 million to float related agencies approved by the legislature two weeks ago. IL has operated without a budget for 11 months and is the only state in the nation without a spending plan for the current fiscal year. He says they should review research about marijuana’s possible adverse effect on PTSD symptoms. The governor called on Forby and other area Democratic lawmakers to stand up to their party’s leaders and help him pass a short-term budget fix and a school funding bill while he and lawmakers negotiate a full spending plan. A spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools says, “Like most school districts in the state, Chicago Public Schools would not be able to open its doors this fall without a state education budget”.
Q: What does House Democrats’ budget do?
The governor said the session ended in a “stunning failure” and faulted Illinois Democrats, who hold a majority in both houses of the General Assembly, for not passing a balanced budget in time.
The House is scheduled to meet each Wednesday at noon for the rest of the month, starting next week.
“Political paralysis is preventing the state from addressing its pressing financial challenges”, said Ted Hampton, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, which rates Illinois Baa1 with a negative outlook. And it spares taxpayers almost $10 million in required renovation.
“I do not support an education plan that doesn’t provide adequate funding from early childhood to higher education, so there’s no way I would ever support a plan like that”, Sullivan said.
“The biggest concern for us is the uncertainty”, she said.
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Dimas said without a stopgap measure the Alton Mental Health Center and the six other psychiatric hospitals in the state are in peril.
