Former lawmakers wary of emergency powers for Quinn

[May 12, 2010]  SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Pat Quinn may have to shoulder the bulk of budget responsibilities for the upcoming fiscal year, and former lawmakers aren't sure that's a good idea.

Illinois is facing a $13 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1, a massive backlog of unpaid bills, and declining tax revenues.

In addition, the General Assembly has not decided on whether or not the state should immediately make its annual contribution to its pension systems, an investment that could tie up about $4 billion, a significant portion of the state's finances.

Jim Nowlan, a fellow with the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs and a former lawmaker, said the state is facing an unprecedented budget situation.

"We do not have the benefit of the federal stimulus money this time around, and the revenues have continued to be anemic, so it appears that we're in a deeper hole than ever," he said.

Because Illinois is mired in an economic crisis, lawmakers may grant Quinn emergency authority to manage the budget.

The General Assembly has granted emergency budget authority to one other governor -- Republican Gov. Jim Edgar in 1992.

Back then, Illinois was also facing economic problems and a budget deficit, though the deficit was then measured on the scale of hundreds-of-millions of dollars.

The General Assembly gave Edgar the power and flexibility to enforce spending cuts to agencies and programs, and in some instances to bypass legislative approval.

Supporters of the emergency powers say that Quinn would have similar maneuverability to manage the state's spending during a difficult time.

Denny Jacobs, a former state senator who represented the Quad Cities and voted for the 1992 emergency budget authority, said the discretion lawmakers gave Edgar back then was not as much as the authority lawmakers are proposing granting to Quinn.

"His powers weren't quite as extensive as they want to do now with Quinn. ... (Under the proposal,) Quinn can say, ‘I'm going to take from this one (program) that you appropriated the money for, and I think this program's more important, and I'm going to take (the money) over there,'" Jacobs said.

Nowlan said this year's lawmakers would be shirking their duties if they granted Quinn emergency powers.

"I think that it is an abdication of responsibility. They want to take credit for the good things that are done, but they don't want to take responsibility for the difficult decisions," he said.

Jacobs said Quinn's attempts to manage the budget with emergency authority could hurt the governor's political prospects.

Making cuts to education and human services institutions would threaten the base of support Quinn has tried to build, according to Jacobs.

"It kills him because there's no way he can make everyone happy," he said.

Voters will choose between the Democrat Quinn and state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, for the state's highest office in November's general election.

Lawmakers will return to Springfield later this month to try to piece together a budget, but they have not established a specific return date or schedule.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By KEVIN LEE]