|
As a
midnight Tuesday deadline to pass legislation approaches, Rauner
and his Democratic rivals who control the state legislature
reported no headway toward ending the 11-month long dispute that
has left Illinois as the only state without a full operating
budget for the current fiscal year.
The second-year governor says the budget is $7 billion short on
revenues. He has insisted that the budget should be tied to a
series of labor-weakening, business-friendly changes that
Democrats argue will harm the state’s working class.
In recent weeks, legislative working groups convened by Rauner
have tried to bridge differences between the governor and top
Democrats.
Rauner and the Democratic legislative leaders met for less than
a half hour on Monday with House Speaker Michael Madigan
declaring plans to keep his legislative chamber in session
during June, when a tougher three-fifths majority vote is
required to pass a budget.
“My view is that if there’s no agreement (Tuesday) night, I
would ask the governor to keep his working groups functioning on
a regular schedule because the House is going to be in
continuous session,” Madigan told reporters after the meeting.
Senate President John Cullerton signaled his chamber could vote
on a budget bill passed by the House last week, or on an
alternative plan he declined to outline. He also said he was
trying to round up votes for the House budget bill.
“[Tuesday] would be a good day to call it,” Cullerton said.
Republican legislative leaders slammed Democrats for their
refusal to accept pieces of Rauner’s non-budgetary agenda or
offer revenue sources to pay for their spending plan.
"They're just forcing a tax increase. That's what they're
doing," said Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, adding
that Democrats plan a post-November election tax hike vote.
Contained within the Democratic spending package is a $760
million increase in funding for Illinois’ public-school system
for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
A complete Rauner veto of the package would mean schools would
be left without adequate state funding in August when schools
are set to open for the fall, a gambit Cullerton predicted the
governor could not risk.
(Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)
[© 2016 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2016 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
