 This time, it’s over an attempt by the House Democrats to change Senate Bill
2042, the measure the Senate easily passed last week to authorize the state to
spend about $4.8 billion in federal money otherwise being held up by the lack of
state budget.
Rauner likes the legislation the way the Senate passed it. He says it’s a
“clean” bill that would not affect the state’s budget deficit because the funds
in question are federal.
A Democrat-backed House amendment to the measure that cleared committee on
Tuesday would add about $1.5 billion in spending authority for services
including Meals on Wheels, energy assistance, cancer screenings and aid to
children with disabilities.
“We believe funding for these programs, which can be delivered despite the lack
of a state budget in place, is needed before the measure is sent to the
governor,” House Speaker Michael Madigan said in a news release.
The governor sees it differently.
The administration called the amendment a “poison pill,” because it adds roughly
$585 million of state general revenue fund spending in addition to the spending
originally OK’d by the Senate.
“Unfortunately, Speaker Madigan continues to play games with taxpayer money and
is trying to force through higher state spending with no budget,” said Rauner
spokesman Lance Trover.
The administration believes the House effort “is identical to the spending in
the unconstitutional, unbalanced budget that the Democrat majority passed
earlier this summer,” according to a memo from Tim Nuding, the governor’s budget
chief.
Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, presented the bill in committee.
Crespo said it does include about $585 million in general fund appropriations,
as well as nearly $170 million from other state funds, including $165 million
for the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program.
It also accesses roughly $635 million in additional federal funding, he said.
[to top of second column] |
 Crespo and other Democrats said some of that money is needed to
leverage federal matching dollars, and all of it would go to worthy
programs for the state’s most needy citizens.
Crespo argued failure to fund the programs would be “just morally
wrong” and said the people who need the services are “not looking at
the numbers. They want to make sure their needs are being taken care
of — and we’ve been delaying this for quite some while.”
GOP members challenged the approach and asked several questions,
among them:
How could Democrats argue for more general fund spending without a
state budget and without knowing how much of general fund money is
already obligated elsewhere?
Why would House Democrats add state spending to the Senate Bill,
which — even if they can find 71 votes for passage — would have to
return to the Senate for approval and, if successful there, face a
likely veto by Rauner if amended?
Why not speed the Senate bill, without amendments, through the House
with Republican support and onto the governor’s desk for his
promised signature, get the $4.8 billion in federal funds moving,
then come back with a fresh bill for the increases?
“I think we should agree where we can agree — and that’s in the
appropriation of federal funds — and continue to work on the general
revenue fund side, and not tie these two (types of funding) together
when they are at very different levels of completion,” said Rep. Tom
Demmer, R-Rochelle.
Democrats answered the amount involved is relatively small — about 2
percent of anticipated general funds — and the need is great.
“The reality is these are critical services, life-and-death
services, for these families,” said Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana.
With anywhere from 70 percent to 80 percent or of the state’s
general revenue funds already committed, Democrats were rushing
blindly forward, Republicans suggested.
“We need to understand how overall general revenue fund spending
fits into the total picture,” Demmer said.
The bill passed out of the House General Services Appropriations
Committee by a vote of 10 to 1 with four members voting present.
Click here to respond to the editor about this article
|
