Rauner, meanwhile, said he was “stunned at the way that (legislative Democrats) completely crumbled” in Tuesday night’s budget inaction.
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We’ve picked out and briefly summarized a handful of notable bills that now await Gov. Bruce Rauner’s approval, from county board pensions to firearms trafficking. A tougher three-fifths majority is needed to pass any bill starting June 1.
He said IL also has more people moving out of the state, higher unemployment and lower economic growth than other states.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, calling Madigan’s budget plan “a slap in the face to every Illinoisan”, and arguing that the Republicans’ rival fully-funded stopgap spending measure was not based on IOU or scrip. The TRS did a fine job of investing the funds contributed by teachers and their school districts, but they lacked the state contribution and therefore are coming up short today. In the 20 years I taught in a downstate school district (in local lingo “downstate” means everything not in Chicago), the legislature did not once fund the state Teachers’ Retirement System as required annually. Stunning failure in our General Assembly. While they complain about the governor, leaders of the Democratic controlled House and Senate have been feuding among themselves over spending levels and revenues. Democrats say they are introducing this bill after the governor called for a clean education budget bill.
The democratic party wants to take the proposal to the budget working groups before they will sign it. Rauner instead is making a last-ditch effort to pass a short-term spending bill and provide money for schools – an idea he opposed and some Democrats were pushing just days ago.
Rauner’s topic of discussion centered around his proposed bill that would carry the state’s education and prison systems through the end of the year, without a current budget in place.
“The Democrats have spent our state into the toilet for 30 years, we’re like a banana republic”, Rauner said Tuesday afternoon on the statehouse grand staircase flanked by state GOP leaders and lawmakers. That was technically the deadline for the next year’s budget. He says it would keep government’s basic functions going until January – except for education.
“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.
“We have universities that might close, social service providers that might close and schools that might not open”, the Chicago Democrat said.
“It’s complete uncertainty, you don’t know what to do or how far to go”, said Ryan. “We will not start school on time”, said Ryan.
“If (Illinois) made significant changes, the market would applaud with a little support”, Ciccarone said.
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Senate President John Cullerton told reporters last night he’s confident he can get a temporary budget passed in the next week. He did not note that for much of that time a Republican held the governor’s office.
