 House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate
President John Cullerton both adjourned their respective chambers to return to work later,
but neither gave a specific date. However, Madigan said he hopes it
will only be for a "day or two."
The May 7 adjournment date was set three weeks ahead of the usual
date of May 31, when lawmakers have up until midnight to pass a
budget with a simple majority. After that, legislation needs a
three-fifths majority vote to pass, bringing Republicans into the
mix in the Democrat-controlled legislature.
Late Thursday night, the Senate did its part by passing key parts of
a budget plan, but House lawmakers on Friday couldn't agree on their
own budget even after lengthy debate.
The House on Friday voted down, 59-57, a key proposal allowing
the state to borrow up to $4 billion to make its annual payment to
the five public employee pension systems. It needed 71 votes to
pass.
The state has overspent and borrowed over the past several years,
digging a $13 billion budget deficit and prompting lawmakers to put
the skids on any more borrowing proposals.
The Pew Center on the States has pegged Illinois' unfunded pension
liability as the worst in the nation at $80 billion.
Last year, bipartisan support approved a borrowing plan allowing
the state to make its annual pension payment. With the state still
bleeding red ink this year, leading Senate Democrats were calling
for a similar plan to make this year's payment. But Senate
Republicans nixed the proposal.
Cullerton, D-Chicago, accused his GOP counterparts of playing
politics.
"You guys, for some reason, have changed your mind, and now this
year you don't want to help us borrow. I wonder if it has anything
to do with the fact that there's an election coming up," Cullerton
said.
But state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, criticized Democrats for
ignoring Republican proposals and continuing to mismanage the
state's finances.
"Please, please, do not come to us in the eleventh hour after you've
turned down all those ideas and say, 'Now it's time to step up,'"
Righter said. "We stepped up last time and helped."
Over in the House, budget components got little support from either
political party, with lawmakers putting their foot down on any more
borrowing as a remedy to the state's ailing finances.
State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, on Friday morning spent several
hours with his colleagues in a Democratic caucus with Gov. Pat
Quinn and came out ready to vote against borrowing.
"We just had a discussion with the governor, who still thought this
bill is somehow going to pass, and they're building their budget
around borrowing," Franks said. "I don't know how divorced from
reality they can be."
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Madigan, D-Chicago, said bills have been introduced to cut the
budget deficit, but lawmakers have voted them down. He suggested
legislators should start crafting their own budget fixes in
legislative proposals that could be considered.
"For those that have said consistently they want to cut the budget,
here is the opportunity," Madigan said. ... "To those who wish to
propose other cuts, (they) can file amendments to do those cuts."
State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, was a bit more direct in his
criticism of Republicans, angrily asking them on the House floor
when they would come up with a budget plan instead of complaining
about Democratic proposals.
"When are you going to come up with a plan?" Hoffman asked. "When
are you going to govern? When are you to stand up and say, 'We're
going to do what's right for the people of Illinois'? Where have you
been? Cowering in the corner? We're waiting! We're waiting!"
State Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville, suggested lawmakers look for
a new "philosophy" since the old methods of borrowing and using
one-time revenues have failed.
"I'm not trying to be overcritical, but it is time for us to take a
new philosophy and a new way of managing this state
because it is not working right now," Watson said.
Quinn is ready to work with lawmakers, according to a statement from
his office.
"The governor and senior staff will continue working with the
leaders of the General Assembly and individual legislators on a
budget that is fair, responsible and preserves education funding...,"
the statement said.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By ASHLEY BADGLEY]
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