Sen. Brady: No state budget thanks to lack of leadership          Send a link to a friend

[August 01, 2007]  SPRINGFIELD -- As the General Assembly heads into an unprecedented third month of overtime, a continuing lack of leadership by the governor and Democratic legislative leaders has left the state of Illinois -- and the citizens it serves -- with no budget, according to state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.

"It's been a year lacking in leadership and productivity," Brady said. "Frankly, I applauded the governor when he called us into session July 28 to consider a one-month budget, so the people of Illinois could know that the government services they rely on would continue, local schools could finalize their budgets, and state employees would know what to expect with their jobs. I was embarrassed for the governor that fewer than 40 percent of the lawmakers bothered showing up for his special session.

"Having witnessed that, I decided to go talk with the governor, only to find he was not in the Capitol. It's a sad day in Illinois history when a governor sends out a press release and a proclamation calling members of the General Assembly back [to] Springfield and fewer than 40 percent of them show up," he continued. "It's even a sadder day when the governor himself doesn't bother to show up. The people of Illinois and the employees of the state of Illinois deserve better."

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Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes has indicated that a budget is needed by Aug. 8, when the state is scheduled to issue $170 million in general state aid to schools and payday arrives for nearly 5,000 state employees.

On July 25, the General Assembly set a record for the longest legislative overtime. The governor continues to convene multiple "special sessions" in response to the continued budget impasse. The cost for special sessions is estimated at $42,000 per day.

[Text copied from news release sent on behalf of Sen. Bill Brady by Illinois Senate Republican staff]

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