* Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times…
House Speaker Michael Madigan emerged from a leaders meeting on Tuesday with the fiery yet unexplained accusation that Gov. Bruce Rauner is holding the budget hostage “to help his wealthy friends and large corporations.”
When asked to elaborate, Madigan would only say: “I mean by that exactly what I said.”
The speaker’s comment came after another leaders meeting with the governor in Rauner’s Chicago office — with no sign that a resolution is on its way. There are just 25 days left before appropriations granted by a partial budget run out — leaving social service agencies and universities, among many other state services high and dry.
“I’m not the one who decided to hold hostage the Illinois governmental budget. It’s a very unusual tactic for anybody, including the governor, to hold hostage the governmental budget making process in order to help his wealthy friends and large corporations,” Madigan said.
Thoughts on what Madigan meant by that? Perhaps keeping the personal and corporate tax rates down?
* Tom Schuba at NBC 5…
During Tuesday’s press conference, the speaker once again pushed for working groups, a move Rauner and the Republicans have frequently dismissed.
Madigan proposed establishing working groups for a series of non-budget issues, including education, pensions, workers’ compensation, local government consolidation and the elimination of mandates on local governments. Madigan also pushed for rank-and-file members of the legislature to aid in the state’s negotiations with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31.
“This would be in response to the governor’s request for what he would characterize as a turnaround agenda,” Madigan said. “These are all issues that are pending before the legislature. They’re such that the members of the legislature and those who have become expert in these areas should participate in the discussions, should participate in the decision-making, in terms of trying to move toward an agreement on moving bills that would make all of these changes.”
OK, so now he wants to talk about non-budget issues via working groups. But the Republicans say it’s too late.
* Charles Thomas at ABC 7…
But bipartisan working groups studied budget issues last winter and spring before the General Assembly adjourned in July without a spending plan:
“The question here is how much more do we want to go back to square one and recreate working group?” said Republican State Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno.
“I look at that as a stalling tactic, which we’ve seen a lot over the last few weeks,” said Republican House Minority Leader Jim Durkin.
Nobody asked about the AFSCME angle, however. I’m certain that the GOP doesn’t want to talk about that hot potato.
* Kim Geiger at the Tribune…
Indeed, Madigan downplayed the urgency of the deadline, pointing out that the stopgap spending plan provides a full year of funding for primary and secondary education, as well as capital construction — meaning that some, but not all, of the spending will expire with the new year. At risk is funding for higher education, human services and some government operations, Madigan said.
The speaker, who has been the target of pre- and postelection attacks by the Rauner-led Illinois Republican Party, tried to pin the blame on the governor.
There is little doubt that MJM is slow-walking this thing. I mean, why else would he allow a resolution to reach the House floor that puts members in opposition to a lame duck tax hike?
* Ivan Moreno at the AP…
The crux of the disagreement over a budget has remained the same. Rauner is insisting that Democrats pass parts of his agenda, including passing pro-business legislation, freezing property taxes and considering term limits among other things. But Democratic leaders have said Rauner should drop his demands and focus only on a state budget without pre-conditions.
Meanwhile, Illinois is more than five months behind in paying debtors, and every month the state is increasing its more than $5 billion deficit because spending for government employees and crucial services like Medicaid is on autopilot.
The Cullerton angle is here.
- AlfondoGonz - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:28 am:
Signs of life from the Speaker. He must have a plan.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:34 am:
(Sigh)
If Madigan continues the slow-walking, the best and obvious play, to me, is…
“The governor wants his agenda. What is not so clear is what is the budgetary numbers the Governor wants, be it his agencies, Higher Education, even K-12 numbers… if we are taking about his agenda, why have we not seen the budgetary numbers the governor is willing to put on all of state government… and with those numbers, how does the Governor plan to cover his own budgetary priorities… if his prioritized agenda can get an agreement?”
“How can we agree to the governor’s demands when we all have no idea what the state is getting in return to function?”
Rep. Harris would be perfect for those asks and to speak to those issues.
If they’re gonna slow walk it, make the onus on the governor.
- Indochine - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:36 am:
God, there is no end to this mess.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:45 am:
==Madigan proposed establishing working groups for a series of non-budget issues, including education, pensions, workers’ compensation, local government consolidation and the elimination of mandates on local governments. ==
All of these groups already existed, have already met.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:45 am:
Madigan called the Rauner budget bluff. Rauner has never intended to Govern. Now MJM is going to fully air the Rauner perfidy on the AFSCME contract, DCEO/intersect Illinois EDGE tax incentives and more. Rauner bet the farm on a Grand Bargain being forced. Not going to happen. What remains to be seen is Rauner will chose to destroy the state to double down on his bluff. If he takes a few wins and stops itight be in time to save some of the workforce of the state. That must happen before we get to a strike vote. Regardless of whether we even strike or eat it. We are goners even if we get close.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:45 am:
Maybe personal rates.
For example the governor’s buddy, Uiehlein, that bastion of the free market system, took the pay-to-play corporate welfare from Gov. Walker and moved his company to Wisconsin.
But he wants no part of Wisconsin’s 7.65% top personal rate, so he keeps slummin’ it with the commies in Lake Forest.
- lake county democrat - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:49 am:
There’s no end to this mess because one side has an extremist “rich libertarian” view of government and the other is a corrupt-but-brilliant politician out to protect his special interests at any cost. Any non-partisan can see the state needs to raise taxes, preferably (essentially?) in a progressive manner, while at the same time recognize the public worker unions, who almost controlled the governor nominees of both parties, need significant pushback and that our state has institutional corruption (judicial elections with lawyers who appear before the court able to contribute, gerrymandered districts, unfair campaign finance laws that boost the power of the party leadership, a state constitution that makes direct action all but impossible, etc.)
Fair minded people could negotiate most of these issues in short-order.
- oldman - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:52 am:
I saw the line from AP that Illinois is five months behind in paying debtors. Unless I’m mistaken, they only paid employee/ retiree Quality Care health Plan claims through 5/2015 per the CMS website. Quite a bit longer than 5 months.
- Foster brooks - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:56 am:
Madigan allowed a vote on the exelon bill
A large corporation?
- A guy - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:56 am:
Everyone is entitled to an interpretation of all this. Mine remains the same.
=House Speaker Michael Madigan emerged from a leaders meeting on Tuesday with the fiery yet unexplained accusation that Gov. Bruce Rauner is holding the budget hostage “to help his wealthy friends and large corporations.”
When asked to elaborate, Madigan would only say: “I mean by that exactly what I said.”=
“Fiery, yet unexplained accusation” -Tina’s words, not mine.
He’s wobbling.
- wondeering - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:56 am:
Glad to see Mike shooting back. He has been taking punch after punch without saying much. What I do wonder is if so many people want a term limit amendment, and we know that over 70% want a graduated income tax amendment, why not a quid quo pro? Go on the attack Mike, take the gloves off. Being a gentleman get’s you know where with
Beaky. No budget without a graduated income tax amendment…..to quote Scott Reeder, “Only seems fair”
- RNUG - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:59 am:
== Bruce Rauner is holding the budget hostage “to help his wealthy friends and large corporations.” ==
Translation: the people who will be buying up the failed universities for pennies on the dollar and the companies who will be supplying all the no bid personnel contracts and no bid services under emergency orders when we start firing the union employees for striking. And the people who will get lots of business when we bust out the pensions for less than present net value by involuntarily and arbitrarily changing to individual 401K’s at the favored investment companies. /s?
- Arsenal - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:07 pm:
==Tina’s words, not mine==
Doesn’t really matter who said it, the explanation is obvious.
- Whatever - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:08 pm:
==+in order to help his wealthy friends and large corporations,” Madigan said.
Thoughts on what Madigan meant by that?==
Obviously that the Governor is going to make the business climate in this State so wonderful that everyone will be wealthy, and every corporation will grow enormously. And then everyone will be his friend.
Obviously.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:08 pm:
Also “unexplained:”
Any quantifiable fiscal or economic benefits to the governor’s non-budget agenda, the pre-conditions he’s had for nearly two years before he is willing to engage in basic governance.
Or so he says. I think Rauner likes the status quo he’s created just fine.
- Interesting - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
=== Anonymous - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 11:45 am:
==Madigan proposed establishing working groups for a series of non-budget issues, including education, pensions, workers’ compensation, local government consolidation and the elimination of mandates on local governments. ==
All of these groups already existed, have already met.==
They haven’t met in months. the governor pulled the plug when he asked for the stopgap budget. The groups had not drafted language yet. That’s kinda important.
- cdog - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:35 pm:
By any definition, these two, and their gangs, are incompetent.
Their fake concern and posturing for “middle class,” and supposedly opposing “business class,” is very obvious.
The prices they are both willing to pay to cause such damage to this state is mind-blowing.
Time to grow-up boys.
I would fire them both, and I look forward to the day they are both just historical footnotes.
- Clerkster - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 12:56 pm:
Sounds like Madigan is on the defense. With fake news. Hahaha lol
- jim - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 2:54 pm:
MM always has a plan, and it’s always to get his way. nothing mysterious here.
- Empty Suit - Wednesday, Dec 7, 16 @ 3:33 pm:
“Bruce Rauner is holding the budget hostage “to help his wealthy friends and large corporations.” said the millionaire attorney.