 The House and Senate held hearings, the governor and the speaker spoke to
reporters (separately), staff members generated documents — and there wasn’t
much sign of real give or take in the standoff between Republican Gov. Bruce
Rauner and the legislative Democrats who control the General Assembly.
The biggest news of the day likely came in an afternoon press conference when
Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, confirmed Democrats would introduce a
one-month “essential services” budget of roughly $2.2 billion Wednesday.
If that bill is called in the House and Senate, the big question may be whether
Democrats on their own can put up 71 votes needed for passage.
Although the Democrats hold 71 seats in the House, everyone would have to be
present and stay on board for the measure to fly without Republican help.
Madigan did say he’d heard a Republican representative or two might support the
idea.
Senate Democrats, who hold a 39-20 advantage in their chamber, could have three
members absent or jump ship and still hit the 60 percent mark needed for
past-deadline passage
The governor’s office issued no official response to the Democratic plan, but
testimony by Rauner budget chief Tim Nuding before the House seemed to indicate
no one in the administration was doing handstands over the idea.
“I believe the possibility still exists that we still may be delivered a budget
that’s $4 billion out of balance (and) identical to the one the governor vetoed
just a few days ago,” Nuding said.
The bigger buzz in the capital city seemed to involve just what Wednesday, the
first day of budgetless fiscal year 2016 would bring.
One questions is whether the state could pay its people without appropriations
bills passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.
The governor thinks it’s a go.
“There are some folks who would rather have you not paid,” he told Illinois
Emergency Management Agency employees in a morning visit.
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 “There are some folks who’d rather have you make a lesser amount.
We’re not going to tolerate that,” the governor said. “We’re going
to fight hard, make sure you’re paid and you’re paid on time.”
Rauner administration members the past two days have said they
believe a precedent exists for the comptroller — currently a
Republican, Leslie Munger of Lincolnshire — to issue state employee
paychecks even in the absence of signed appropriations bills.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan, D-Chicago, has said the precedent
that exists is far from blanket authority.
The fourth-term attorney general, who is also the speaker’s
daughter, said it came about through an unusual case and the court
OK’d a full payroll but also noted the deal was not precedent
setting.
The state’s biggest employees’ union has indicated its members are
prepared to show up for work, and court action for full pay is
likely if it is not forthcoming.
State employees are next due to be paid July 15.
Nuding on Saturday acknowledged during his appearance in the House
that the state would not be able to immediately pay vendors and
service providers.
Rauner-led Republicans and legislative Democrats remain at
loggerheads a full month after the May 31 end of the regularly
scheduled spring legislative session.
Democrats say the governor is essentially holding the budget hostage
over what they consider non-budget demands: workers’ compensation
and lawsuit reform, a property tax freeze, term limits and
independent legislative redistricting.
Rauner, in turn, says the Democrats have sent him a $36 billion
budget that’s $4 billion short on on funding, and he won’t sign a
bill that fails both common sense and the state constitution.
Schools, however, will be able to open on time. Democrats did pass
and Rauner has signed the budget for primary and secondary
education.
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