No end in sight
Thursday, Jun 21, 2007 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Daily Herald succinctly sums up yesterday’s Senate action…
Senate Democrats rejected a $53 billion state budget plan Wednesday, saying it doesn’t spend enough on education, health care and elsewhere as they renewed their call for more gambling or higher taxes to come up with added billions.
In doing so, the political discord between the Illinois House and Senate — both controlled by Democrats —reached new lows with only days remaining before a potential government shutdown if there’s no deal.
Senate President Emil Jones Jr., a Chicago Democrat, criticized the House spending plan as a “no-good budget” and wondered if the House Democrats who’d passed it had bothered to read it.
House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, shot back that the House has passed a budget while the Senate has not, even as Senate Democrats’ ranks have swelled to the point they can pass whatever they want without needing Republican help.
* More…
Senate Democrats all but demanded Wednesday that taxpayers fork over more money to boost state spending on education, health care and other state programs.
But rather than propose its own spending plan, the Democrat-controlled Senate merely approved a nonbinding resolution rejecting a leaner budget plan backed by House Speaker Michael Madigan.
The contentious move was described as a way to send Madigan a message that Democrats stand for bigger government.
If the Senate can’t even get 36 votes to reject Madigan’s budget, I’m not sure how its leaders believe that they can put together enough votes to pass a budget that spends a lot more money.
* The State Journal-Register editorial board has written an epitaph for Madigan’s budget proposal…
The speaker’s powerful, but even he can’t raise this one from the dead.
* And urges compromise…
The bad news: Neither Madigan nor the governor believe their budgets are dead. They both need to accept that fact and find a middle ground - something more than taking meals away from old people and something less than the state’s largest-ever tax increase.
* And this buried item clearly foreshadows the next budget showdown on the agenda…
Jones suggested consideration of a one-month budget to avoid a shutdown of the government in July, but Madigan said the focus should be on adopting a yearlong spending plan.
Oy.
* Meanwhile, the leaders meeting was a total bust yesterday…
No progress was made in the afternoon leaders’ meeting. House Minority Leader Tom Cross didn’t hide his frustration, calling the process “rather embarrassing and a bit disgusting.”
The only thing discussed in the “show-and-tell meeting” was TIF districts in Chicago with no attempt to relate that issue to the state budget, said House Speaker Michael Madigan. The governor didn’t even send his spokespeople out to make comments after the meeting.
* Audio clips from after yesterday’s leaders meeting…
* Speaker Madigan
[audio:Madigan20th.mp3]
* President Jones
[audio:Emil20th.mp3]
* Minority Leader Cross
[audio:Cross20th.mp3]
- John Lee Pettimore - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 9:11 am:
“– In doing so, the political discord between the Illinois House and Senate — both controlled by Democrats —reached new lows with only days remaining before a potential government shutdown if there’s no deal. —
Shouldn’t it be “political discord reached a new high”?
- Lula May - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 9:23 am:
Thankfully the Republicans have Madigan in Springfield to look out for the taxpayer interest. Cross is way too close to this Governor.
- Arrogant Bunch - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 9:28 am:
The governor doesn’t care, nor do his lemming staff. They see the handwriting on the wall. Two things in their futures are court and prison.
- Leigh - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 9:42 am:
Lula May are you nuts? Cross is not supporting the governor in any way shape or form and was the first to come out against the GRT. He is the one who got the GRT is DOA ball rolling in the house and then Madigan took over.
- Reddbyrd - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 9:57 am:
The bad news: Neither Madigan nor the governor believe their budgets are dead. They both need to accept that fact and find a middle ground - something more than taking meals away from old people and something less than the state’s largest-ever tax increase.
Rich — let’s start with “accepting” the fact that the House passed a real bill with real votes, The Governor and the Senate have passed nothing, but there have been a lot of bold predictions. All are grateful for the predictions.
The world will take a pass on accepting anything else for now.
Havfe a great weekend
- Fan of the Game - Thursday, Jun 21, 07 @ 11:16 am:
The Madigan budget is not in line, but it is a budget that has been passed by “real votes.” Sen. Jones and the rest of the upper house need either to amend the Madigan budget and pass it, so the two houses can negotiate or to pass their own budget and start the negotiating process.
As it is, the Senate’s resolution is simple posturing and does nothing to bring about a final budget.