 Government won't shut down without a budget in place, but the
situation creates uncertainty for anyone who depends on state money:
government workers, road crews, community agencies caring for the
sick and needy, and more.
Gov. Pat Quinn lectured legislators Tuesday afternoon in an
unusual speech to a joint session of the House and Senate. He urged
legislators to act like adults and raise taxes, rather than slash
key services, to help close the biggest budget deficit in Illinois
history.
"If this General Assembly sends me a partial budget that
decimates the social safety net of our state, I will veto that
budget," Quinn said in a hastily arranged speech lasting 10 minutes.
Lawmakers responded coolly.
Democrats accused the Democratic governor of rejecting reasonable
compromises meant to keep budget talks going. Republicans complained
of divisions within the Democratic majority. Rank-and-file lawmakers
took offense at the governor's tone.
"He was being Patrick Quinn -- Patrick Quinn the great crusader,"
said Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago. "We were just hoping he would
demonstrate a little more leadership."
Underscoring what's at stake, a federal judge ruled that a
version of the state budget approved by lawmakers might interfere
with court-ordered services delivered by the Department of Children
and Family Services. U.S. District Judge John F. Grady ordered the
agency to keep providing such services as psychiatric treatment and
day care, no matter what budget eventually becomes law.
And at the state Capitol, eight people briefly blocked access to
the House chamber in a call for lawmakers to raise taxes. The
members of the Service Employees International Union work for local
agencies that the state pays to provide care to children and the
elderly, two programs facing the possibility of major budget cuts.
The protesters left willingly when approached by police officers,
who escorted them to a basement room of the Capitol. They were
released without charges.
State government's old budget expired Tuesday at midnight.
Officials have been unable to agree on how to fill a deficit
estimated at $11.6 billion. The cause of the massive gap is a
combination of rising costs, plummeting tax revenue and increased
spending by state officials in recent years.
Federal funds and cost-cutting have reduced the deficit to $9.2
billion, Quinn says, and he has agreed to an additional $1 billion
in budget cuts.
But there's no agreement on what more to do.
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A plan to borrow $2.3 billion passed in the House but failed in the
Senate. An income tax increase passed the Senate and crashed in the
House.
The governor wants to raise personal income taxes to 4.5 percent,
up from 3 percent, to generate more than $4 billion. He says that's
the fairest way to balance the budget without gutting services.
Republican lawmakers, along with some Democrats, oppose raising
taxes. They are demanding long-term changes in government health and
retirement programs before even discussing taxes.
Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, urged Quinn to sign
the budget that lawmakers have approved, even though it falls
billions of dollars short of covering a full year of government
expenses. Cullerton argues that would give Quinn the ability to keep
government running at normal levels while officials continue budget
talks.
"The Republicans clearly need some more time to come around to
vote for the tax increase," Cullerton said. "We need their vote,
can't do it without it, and as a result he should give them the time
that they need."
Quinn rejected that idea, calling it the kind of budgeting that
got Illinois into such a crisis.
"We must not put off decisions until later in the summer or the
fall or next winter. That's not what adults do," he said.
Even if talks continued for a month or two, it's not clear what
they would produce.
Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, said she's
seeing no progress. She blamed the governor and Democratic
legislative leaders.
"We are totally stuck," Radogno said. "The governor continues to
say the same thing. The speaker and the president continue to
respond in the same manner as well. We're not getting anywhere."
[Associated Press;
BY CHRISTOPHER WILLS]
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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