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Sen. Brady: Senate should be allowed
to vote on governor's budget vetoes
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[October 04, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- Now that the Illinois House has
voted overwhelmingly to override the governor's changes to the state
budget, the long-standing battle between lawmakers and the governor
shifts to the Illinois Senate, according to state Sen. Bill Brady,
R-Bloomington.
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 The House of Representatives voted 105-4 on Tuesday to
override most of the governor's budget vetoes. Brady says the
prospects for a Senate override don't look good, however, because
Senate President Emil Jones of Chicago has vowed to side with the
governor."We hope to put enough pressure on the Senate president
to allow a vote on the budget vetoes," Brady said. "We encourage
anyone who depends on government services affected by the vetoes to
contact their senator, to contact the governor's office, to contact
Senator Jones' office and demand that a vote on the budget vetoes be
allowed in the Senate."
The 44th District senator says the governor's budget changes were
politically motivated and vindictive, designed to force legislators
to do what the governor wants.
"It's bordering on bribery to go in and veto funding for Senate
Republican and House Democrat projects, and leave funding for House
Republican and Senate Democrat projects," Brady said. "It clearly
shows that this governor is vindictive and that he is trying to hold
something over the heads of certain lawmakers."
[to top of second column]
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 In September, a series of 19 hearings was held in communities
across the state -- including one Brady attended Sept. 13 in Pekin
-- to highlight how the governor's vetoes will have a devastating
impact on programs that assist some of the state's most vulnerable
residents, such as senior citizens, people with developmental
disabilities, students and veterans.
"Funding nursing homes, funding hospitals, funding community
service providers are essential. There are ways and places the
governor can cut in this budget if he wishes to have the fortitude
to do so, to revamp state government to be more efficient," Brady
said. "Rather he has chosen to cut funding for programs that really
help the needy throughout our state."
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Bill Brady by Illinois
Senate Republican staff]
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