* Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno gave an expected party line answer yesterday to school funding…
On Monday, Senate Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) told reporters she didn’t think it was acceptable to hold up the state’s K-12 funding any longer as CPS seeks help from Springfield to fill a massive budget gap.
“What the governor has proposed is, and what we did last year, wisely in my opinion, is fund education,” she said.
Ignore, for the moment, that the Republicans voted against the K-12 appropriations bill last year (or don’t, but it’s kinda beside the point, which I’m about to get to).
* Check out this statement from Macomb Republican state Rep. Norine Hammond…
Hammond said one mistake the Legislature cannot make this summer is allowing the education budget for K-12 schools to pass through before an agreement on the rest of the budget and agenda items has been made.
“There’s no way the speaker and the president of the senate would allow the children of their constituents to run the streets of Chicago in August,” Hammond said.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 9:56 am:
===“There’s no way the speaker and the president of the senate would allow the children of their constituents to run the streets of Chicago in August,” Hammond said.===
Yeah, um, boy… Hammond… You are really… something.
Understand this, Repreaentative… I mean really focus…
Governors own.
Why does the Governor want K-12 funding passed?
Because everyone will look to the governor.
Why didn’t a single Raunerite in both chambers vote for K-12 funding and Rauner signed it?
Governors own.
If anything, Karen Lewis, CTU, and parent gropus will turn on Raunerites quicker, come August.
Think your “smart” idea helps Sen. Kirk? How about Comptroller Munger, think you “smart” idea helps her?
Seriously, Rep. Hammond, “we’ll take it from here… ”
Sen. Oberweis has better political instincts.
- thunderspirit - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:00 am:
To paraphrase Rep. Hammond: “Crisis creates opportunity. Crisis creates leverage to change…and we’ve got to use that leverage of the crisis to force structural change.”
Now where have we heard that before?
- Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:09 am:
Read the first paragraph and thought Hammond got the fact a full budget had to be approved because her university is suffering as is a lot of folks in her disrict with other needs that need to be addressed.
Then got to the second paragraph and found a small-minded legislator. Sad.
- Saluki - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:10 am:
I think we need more like this. Even if not funding K-12 would create chaos, the willingness of members to stand up and force the dogmatic leaders to get something done, in my opinion would be worth it. At some point legislators are going to have to break ranks and govern, since the Governor and Speaker do not seem willing to do so.
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:11 am:
Just spit-balling here, but if Norinne Hammond got together with Mike McAuliffe, Chad Hays and say, Dan Brady maybe, they could pretty much dictate their own terms of a budget deal. And they’d look like heroes in their districts if they come through for higher ed.
It’ll never happen though. The HGOPs have Stockholm Syndrome.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:17 am:
Bruce Rauner and the ILGOP reminds me of Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater in the 1980’s movie Ruthless People. They clearly are in over their heads in a hostage situation. The major difference is that Judge and Helen realize they are not in a position of power and lower their demands while Bruce and Co. just can’t or won’t come off their opening position.
Rich and others have said it time and again, negotiate a small concession on WC or some other area, claim a victory, and continue moving forward. Bruce is always looking for the 5-Run HR in the bottom of the ninth.
- Wensicia - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:17 am:
I guess Hammond believes if you pick the right hostages, Chicago’s schoolchildren, the Speaker and Senate President will cave to their demands.
- Macomb resident - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:22 am:
If anyone is counting on Norine Hammond to provide leadership, well get a comfortable seat because you’ll be waiting forever. She has accomplished next to nothing during her time in Springfield. Like so many other Republican representatives, she has skated by with voting no or present and blaming everything that happens on the Democrats. She represents the WIU community, but voted “Present” (a cowardly way to vote “no”) on a MAP funding bill and voted “No” on higher education funding. I think she sees that this is not resonating back in her district and she is facing a good challenger so now she will try to distance herself from Rauner and present herself as a moderate voice of reason. Sorry, but you’ve already lost me, Norine. I will be voting for John Curtis in the 94th District and highly recommend him to all of my neighbors.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:24 am:
Blood’s in the water folks.
- Earnest - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:32 am:
>“There’s no way the speaker and the president of the senate would allow the children of their constituents to run the streets of Chicago in August,” Hammond said.
There’s one way–by not leaving social services, higher education, and state vendors behind to be shaken out for another year.
Representative Hammond, do you realize how much power you have as a Republican in the Illinois House of Representatives? Do it behind the scenes if you don’t want the bright lights, but make up a list and check it twice, get with some of your cohorts and taste the power and accomplish some things you feel would be truly good for Illinois.
- illinois manufacturer - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:51 am:
I will be voting with Macomb resident this fall. Not only does she have WIU but 3 prisons. She has a few Chamber of Commerce members and Tracy’s but that is a dozen votes v thousands. This is a vote accordingly district this fall.
- cdog - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:58 am:
Good for her for swimming against the current.
Many ancient sayings talk about how it doesn’t take much to float along with the current.
(Regardless of her courage, the GOP has blown it, a bunch of floaters. I would not vote for her either.)
- Magic carpet ride - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 10:58 am:
The “its Madigans fault” mantra is starting to fizzle. Sure Madigan can take some blame. But when a
family uses all its resources available to get their child to college to fullfill his dreams and the government takes that opportunity away its hard to put all the blame on a Chicago state rep.
- MacombPrecinct - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:01 am:
I liked Rich Myers and have never opposed Hammond, but I will this year. She cares more about Rauner than her own district. Voting “Present” — sheesh.
- Aldyth - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:19 am:
Rauner is hoping that November will send a message about who is in charge.
I hope that the message he receives will be that his minions don’t get re-elected. I will be voting accordingly, along with others who have commented.
- illinois manufacturer - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:29 am:
I look at the civil war that will engulf the GOP….Lurks numbers ad Rauners unpopularity Labor’s massive GOTV and I think the house goes super majority. My concern is about the damage between now and then. Will CSU be gone? Will we have complete shutdown due to the aproriation issue I a forced strike…and no k to 12 in fall…..at what point does HOP go dowbto somthing like Green or Libertarian status.
- Austin Blvd - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:31 am:
Lead Norine. Lead.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:37 am:
=== Lead Norine. Lead. ===
Sorry, that violates Rule 1 in the Rauner Rule Book. “I, BVR lead, y’all follow.”
- Joe M - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 11:56 am:
==Why didn’t a single Raunerite in both chambers vote for K-12 funding and Rauner signed it?==
I am no fan of Rep Hammond, but for the record, she DID vote yes for the K-12 funding bill.
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/99/house/09900HB3763_04152015_029000T.pdf
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 12:30 pm:
- Joe M -
Interesting…
Did you factor in the Senate Amendment, what that amendment was… and how Hammind voted?
http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory/99/house/09900HB3763_05292015_036000C.pdf
You get back to me on that….
- James Knell - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 12:49 pm:
Anybody want to guess a baseline partisan average in Rep Hammond district?
- Joe M - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 12:53 pm:
OW, you are right - she did ultimately vote against the K-12 funding bill which was in the Senate amendment. I looked at the wrong vote.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 2:00 pm:
I bet Rich Myers is turning over in his grave. Hammond continues to prove she could never fill his shoes.
- nikobey - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
From my reading of the Galesburg Register-Mail article which is the basis for the discussion on this topic, it appears that both Representative Hammond and Senator John Sullivan agree that “rank and file” legislators of both parties and General Assembly chambers need to take the initiative in attempting to resolve the prolonged and destructive budgetary impasse. Both these legislators and others have expressed similar sentiments on previous occasions. The question remains as to whether there is sufficient bipartisan legislative support to address the budget and related issues that afflict Illinois or whether the current crisis will persist until the governor and legislative leaders can offer their own package. In the meanwhile, it strikes me as a bit unfair to focus criticism on one legislator. There have been few, if any, legislative heroes in the current budget crisis.
- Mama - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 3:36 pm:
“There have been few, if any, legislative heroes in the current budget crisis.”
This appears to be true on the Republican side of the fence. The Democratic legislature voted for a budget for FY2016, the Republicans did not.
- OFFM - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 3:46 pm:
Good night, Norrine, good night . . . .
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 5, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
===Anybody want to guess a baseline partisan average in Rep Hammond district===
I bet there are more Republicans than there are Raunerites. And if you combine the few Democrats with the Republicans who aren’t in love with Bruce Rauner’s money, then you might have a shot at this one.