* House Speaker Michael Madigan emerged from the leaders’ meeting after about 90 minutes to say, “The House will vote today on the question of whether there should be a Rauner lame duck tax increase.”

That means they’ll vote on at least one of the resolutions moved out of committee today that would put members on record as being opposed to a tax increase during January’s lame duck session.

* Madigan also shot back at those who criticized him for not attending yesterday’s meeting. “I am available,” he said. “I was available when Gov. Rauner was in Rome. I was available when Sen. Radogno was not available before Thanksgiving.” He refused to answer questions about this week’s Republican Party attacks.

Rep. Greg Harris said the governor’s budget director gave a “very good review” of the work that was done during the working groups earlier this year. House Democrats, Harris said, sent a letter to the other three caucuses to suggest that the working groups be reconstituted and their recommendations updated.

*** UPDATE 1 ***  Leader Durkin emerged from the leaders meeting and said “Unfortunately, the Speaker isn’t interested” in negotiating with the Republicans on the governor’s reforms. He did say, however, that Senate President Cullerton was engaged on the topic.

Durkin said it was Madigan who had been demanding a tax hike, not the Republicans, pointing to Madigan’s 2015 City Club address. But, he said the Republicans want a “true balanced budget.”

But asked whether a budget could truly be balanced without a tax hike, Leader Radogno said, “I think the governor’s said repeatedly that… it’s an option” along with reforms. “The reforms are integral to the budget,” Radogno said.

Asked whether term limits were integral to the budget, Leader Radogno said it had to do with the “perception of the state” by business owners in their decision to expand or locate here.

“Grow up,” Leader Radogno said to a question about whether Madigan ought to be upset considering this week’s Republican Party attacks.

Radogno said the leaders will meet again tomorrow and Friday.

*** UPDATE 2 *** The governor’s office has told Republican legislators that if they want to vote for the anti-lame duck tax hike resolutions they should feel free to do so.

Meanwhile, some Democrats contend this memo from the governor’s chief of staff means that Rauner has been plotting a lame duck tax hike in January, even though it basically just says the same thing that Rauner has been saying for two years…

By the way, a top Rauner administration called the contention that this is evidence of some plot, “truly pathetic.” The Democrats are, he said “devoid of new ideas. They can’t get over the fact that they got their clocks cleaned in November.”

Yeah, we’re making tons o’ progress here, campers.

       

67 Comments - Former Downstater - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 11:56 am: (sigh) - Rahm's Middle Finger - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:00 pm: Ughhhhh…. Politically I understand what the Speaker is doing, but he’s committing our State to two more years of destruction. It will be hard for House Democrats to continue blaming Rauner. The Speaker has made his approach clear… total and complete war. - walker - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:01 pm: A way to kill any possible movement in it’s tracks, is to put it on the floor before it’s ready. Let’s see who has the character to vote No on this anti-democratic, political theater resolution. - Casual observer - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:02 pm: Question: does the lockbox amendment take effect January 1? Won’t that have a (big) impact on budget discussions? - BK Bro - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:05 pm: ==Question: does the lockbox amendment take effect January 1? Won’t that have a (big) impact on budget discussions?== Yep. And since you have Madigan labeling the increase as a “Rauner tax” increase, the State is limited even more in terms of revenue options. Cuts are inevitable. On the bright side, if you’re concerned about an income tax increase impacting your wallet in the short term, this should be good news. No tax increase. - Thoughts Matter - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:09 pm: See how quick it went from being Madigans’ tax increase to ‘m the Governors’? All it took was Madigan to be reported as no longer pushing for a tax increase. How about they just vote for the tax increase this afternoon and skip the resolutions? Let’s stop the posturing about not needing one. We all know we need one. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:10 pm: The Rauner Tax… That’s where governors own. They always, always do. Welp, I look forward to all the Raunerite “Green” to the Rauner Tax. I do hope, just for me, this makes “BossMadigan.Com” - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:13 pm: ===he’s committing our State to two more years of destruction=== Or to waiting until next year, when Rauner has four more Republican votes available in the House and two in the Senate. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:13 pm: ===Durkin said it was Madigan who had been demanding a tax hike, not the Republicans, pointing to Madigan’s 2015 City Club address. But, he said the Republicans want a “true balanced budget.”=== It’s the Rauner Tax. If it were to even PASS… Rauner would sign… The Rauner Tax. I guess this is one of those “don’t want a $&@#% problem vote for Raunerites? Gotta be “Green” for the Rauner Tax. - 47th Ward - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:14 pm: I’ve never seen Illinois Republicans this upset about a vote to NOT raise income taxes. Lol. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:15 pm: ===Or to waiting until next year, when Rauner has four more Republican votes available in the House and two in the Senate.=== This saves Democrats from voting …4 in the House and 2 in the Senate… for The Rauner Tax. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:15 pm: ===I’ve never seen Illinois Republicans this upset about a vote to NOT raise income taxes=== Yep. They blew that presser bad. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:15 pm: –“The reforms are integral to the budget,” Radogno said.– Perhaps Sen. Radogno could “grow up” and show the math that justifies that statement. Like the big kids do. I kid. She doesn’t have clue, she’s just a figurehead “legislative leader” who’s bought-and-paid for by the executive branch, repeating the approved mantra. - qualified someone nobody sent - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:16 pm: No revenue increase immediately from a State spending 5 billion more than it takes in? Looks like no budget until we get a new Gov. 2018 can’t get here fast enough! One term billionaire, and his Republican lemmings, are going to face a huge voter backlash when Trump doesn’t fulfill his IMPOSSIBLY ACHIEVABLE campaign promises and because Illinois hasn’t had a budget during Brucie’s four year “excellent adventure”. - LessAnon? - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:18 pm: Of course. More mail piece votes forced on the floor for campaigns rather than actual governing. Typical. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:20 pm: ===But asked whether a budget could truly be balanced without a tax hike, Leader Radogno said, “I think the governor’s said repeatedly that… it’s an option” along with reforms. “The reforms are integral to the budget,” Radogno said.=== I keep going to “Principles of Accounting”, “Governmental Budgeting”, “Glossery of Budgetary Terms and Practices”… … have yet to find “Reform” or “Reforms” in these books. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:20 pm: =“The reforms are integral to the budget,”= Really, which line of the budget do “reforms” appear? Senator Radogno, as a fellow LTHS graduate, I am disappointing in your grasp of the meaning of words. You WANT changes (not reforms, which is now a virtually meaningless word). But the changes you want are not an integral part of a budget. They are just something you want. As Honeybear always says, perfidy. - Norseman - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:21 pm: Who really expected the impasse to change after an election that didn’t see a party change in the GA? So we wait for the next crisis (pressure point) to force a patchwork approp only addressing the problem. When the crises become overwhelming, another horrible stopgap will be passed. End result: credit ratings down to newly created levels; debt grows to humongous levels; higher educ loses a school or so; and, campaign coffers get refilled for 2018. Sigh indeed! - Winnin' - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:21 pm: Madigan knows Rauner will tell them to vote yellow. But the seismic shift in who is pushing the tax increase is now taking place. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:22 pm: No one in the GOP saw this coming? Nobody?? For two years folks have been explaining to you that tax hikes don’t exactly make Democrats giddy. Inserting the Turnaround Agenda into a tax hike is like slipping a poison pill into brussel sprouts. You have taken something that was already really hard to swallow and made it life-threatening. But hey, don’t act surprised. You knew this all along. Taxes will stay low, public schools and programs for the disabled and abused will crumble as we “squeeze the beast.” #ItsaFeaturenotaBug - Nick Name - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:22 pm: “‘Grow up,’ Leader Radogno said to a question about whether Madigan ought to be upset considering this week’s Republican Party attacks.” She never fails to disappoint. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:22 pm: === Rauner will tell them to vote yellow=== Whew. That would be a dangerous vote for a Republican. - Not It - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:26 pm: The Speaker is taking everything personal now, which is surprising. - DuPage Moderate - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:28 pm: Lot’s of speculation on here about how Rauner will own the “Rauner Tax”…but methinks that Rauner has done a good enough job convincing the Illinois public that any tax is a Madigan Tax because of the long-term harm he has caused the state. Whether that is correct or incorrect, Rauner has already won in achieving the winning framework for a tax hike. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:31 pm: ===methinks=== (Sigh) ===that Rauner has done a good enough job convincing the Illinois public that any tax is a Madigan Tax=== “Pat Quinn Failed” Pat Quinn Tax Edgar Ramp Ryan Build Illinois Governors own. They always do. - Truthteller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:32 pm: Illinois does need to be turned around. Let’s get Theo Epstein in to show Rauner how it’s done. If Rauner were the GM of the Cubs, we’d still be waiting for a championship. Can’t decide if he’s a goat or a turkey - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:32 pm: ===Rauner has already won in achieving the winning framework for a tax hike.=== If that was remotely accurate… Raunerites would easily be “Green” and Rauner would be out front, because Madigan will get the blame. Why aren’t they? - Winnin' - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:34 pm: =That would be a dangerous vote for a Republican= Rauner would rationalize that it’s another Madigan ploy, like property tax reduction and workers Comp reform measures. Remember, it’s the Republicans who fashion themselves as statesmen. But you’re right, Rich. Those GOP members could wilt and vote red — but that would upend Rauner’s gameplan. We haven’t had this much fun since the last GOP press release about who is supporting Madigan for Speaker. - GA Watcher - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:37 pm: Wordslinger: Did you notice Leader Radogno said that there are metrics available which show the financial benefits of the Governor’s reforms, but she just didn’t have them at her fingertips. Hope someone at the availability follows up and asks her to provide those metrics. Doesn’t the GOP realize that if they provide the metrics that show significant cost savings, they would rock the Dems back on their heels? - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:39 pm: I think any informed voter knows who to blame for decades of unbalanced budgets and overspending and undertaxing and his name is not Rauner. Go ahead with your Rauner Tax and ridiculous inside baseball talk about who is to blame. The inevitable tax increase will contain the fingerprints of all the leaders and a majority of the legislature, yet you want to hang it all on the Governor. Completely ridiculous partisan spin. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:52 pm: Winnin’ check update 2. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:57 pm: =I think any informed voter knows who to blame for decades of unbalanced budgets and overspending and undertaxing and his name is not Rauner.= The blame lies squarely on the shoulders of Illinois voters who allowed it to happen. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 12:59 pm: @lucky; elections are won by winning the votes of uninformed voters too, and I think its debatable what percentage of Illinois’ voters are informed and uninformed. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:01 pm: ===I think any informed voter knows who to blame for decades of unbalanced budgets and overspending and undertaxing and his name is not Rauner=== … and yet, Rauner is still upside down in polling and Munger just lost statewide. Hmm. ===Go ahead with your Rauner Tax and ridiculous inside baseball talk about who is to blame. The inevitable tax increase will contain the fingerprints of all the leaders and a majority of the legislature, yet you want to hang it all on the Governor. Completely ridiculous partisan spin=== Yeah… “Pat Quinn failed” How did that work out? lol… Skyhook, in reverse now… - Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:01 pm: “The governor’s office has told Republican legislators that if they want to vote for the anti-lame duck tax hike resolutions they should feel free to do so.” Code for “If you for the resolution you’re gonna have a !@#$% problem.” - Doofman - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:02 pm: @Juvenal: I couldn’t disagree more strongly. Brussel sprouts are delicious if you fry them in bacon fat. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:07 pm: What is not debatable is that the districts do not reflect the actual make up of the electorate. Illinois is much more purple than deep blue, especially outside of Cook County. Self serving, career politicians have been able to choose their voters and not the other way around. The fact that so many run unopposed because the districts are so rigged promotes apathy. How many people even know who their Senator or Rep is? Not many, but they all know Madigan and Rauner. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:07 pm: ===Code for “If you for the resolution you’re gonna have a !@#$% problem.” === No. C’mon. Remove your tinfoil hat. They don’t flatter. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:10 pm: your shoe would taste delicious if you fried it in bacon fat - Anon - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:11 pm: The Illinois GOP and the Dems both misread the electorate this year and are still misreading it. Isn’t is sad that Donald Trump is the only one who got it right? I wonder if Rauner finally thanked him for that 4 seat pick-up. Lesson still not learned. Sigh… - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:11 pm: ===What is not debatable is that the districts do not reflect the actual make up of the electorate.=== What do they reflect… gnomes? Voters are voters, they represent their votes. ===How many people even know who their Senator or Rep is? Not many, but they all know Madigan and Rauner=== After ALL the money spent this cycle, you might need a polling cite to prove that one… … just don’t poll gnomes. - JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:12 pm: =The fact that so many run unopposed because the districts are so rigged promotes apathy. How many people even know who their Senator or Rep is?= And who owns responsibility for allowing this to happen? (hint: we should all look in the mirror) - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:19 pm: OW, that is some spinning you are doing. Trying to convince all of your loyal followers that the Speaker has not maximized the number of democrats in the legislature all of these years because of his control of the maps. I guess the bipartisan majorities of voters who supported the Fair Maps are lacking your insight. - Arsenal - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:23 pm: ==Illinois is much more purple than deep blue, especially outside of Cook County.== Well, team Red went 0fer in statewide elections a couple weeks ago, so… ==Isn’t is sad that Donald Trump is the only one who got it right?== We have pretty objective data that Illinois voters wanted no part of what Donald Trump was sellin’. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:25 pm: ===Speaker has not maximized the number of democrats in the legislature all of these years because of his control of the maps.=== … except when HDems won 4 out of 5 with a GOP map in the ’90s… “Other than THAT… ” lol. What else you got? - cgo75 - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:34 pm: I think the electorate wants nothing to do with property tax relief and are actually in favor of additional taxation to fund social services. I think even the more red parts of the state tend to be more socially moderate. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:42 pm: Carve it in stone: there will not be a tax increase until the governor asks for one. - Anon - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:49 pm: Governing is not always ruling. - Whatever - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:51 pm: ==They can’t get over the fact that they got their clocks cleaned in November.”== The Republicans beat the point spread by a huge margin, and that results in very significant shift in power structure for the lame duck session and the new GA, but they still lost. They can still only act as spoilers. If the mid-terms go against the president, as they so often do, they may find that continuing the impasse will really cost them in 2 years. (Of course, 2 years might as well be forever in politics.) - Deft Wing - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 1:55 pm: The election of earlier this month settled nothing. Rauner and Madigan both think they got the better of the electoral take-away, and believes the other is politically vulnerable (one way or the other). Oh, they don’t like each other much too. So, the election in 2018 has started and both will do whatever he can to make sure the other gets no perceived wins in the interim and is politically embarrassed should opportunities arise along the way to the 2018 showdown. There will be no pause or reduction in hostilities and it will be a winner take all gig. Of course, the survivor from this won’t really be a winner, because Illinois’ financial situation will only worsen … which is really hard to imagine. The options left to the survivor and those silly enough to want to remain in the Legislature will be onerous and hardly popular. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 2:05 pm: So according to Radogno businesses are considering the fact that Illinois doesn’t have term limits in their decisions on whether to expand or locate here? Is that the best she can do in trying to link term limits to the budget? I certainly hope she has a better argument than that because it’s ridiculous. - Team Sleep - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 2:05 pm: CGO75 - with respect how can you say that voters want NOTHING to do with property tax relief?! As others on this site state do you have any numbers to back that up? - Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 2:07 pm: ==Completely ridiculous partisan spin.== Yep. There is a lot of partisan spin out there. And you engage in it. Is Madigan a big part of the problem? Yep. But, the Governor also shares blame now. He’s the Governor. It would be nice if he would, you know, govern. - Winnin' - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 2:11 pm: Thanks Rich. What is painfully obvious is that the Blame Madigan schtick will continue. Blame him for a tax increase. Blame him for no tax increase. Governin’ comes second. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 2:54 pm: OW Senate R’s won 5 in a row with the Republican map. What else do you got? - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 3:08 pm: ===OW Senate R’s won 5 in a row with the Republican map. What else do you got?=== Weren’t you taking about Madigan? You’re proving MY point… Madigan beat the Republican map. You thinking you have a point is comical. - wordslinger - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 3:26 pm: –Wordslinger: Did you notice Leader Radogno said that there are metrics available which show the financial benefits of the Governor’s reforms, but she just didn’t have them at her fingertips.– LOL, maybe the dog ain’t them. Still, you’d think after all this time, she could at least be conversant on them — if they existed. – Hope someone at the availability follows up and asks her to provide those metrics.– Rich tried that once with the governor. Still waiting…. –Doesn’t the GOP realize that if they provide the metrics that show significant cost savings, they would rock the Dems back on their heels?– I’m sure they do. Proof that favorable numbers don’t exist when compared to the damage that is being done. - BK Bro - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 3:54 pm: So does this mean that IL dems are giving up on revenue? - Whoelse - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 3:58 pm: What’s most funny about the 2018 election is all the money they will spend on it and I already know who I will vote for in 2016! - Dandy Edward - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 4:01 pm: Mike Madigan should own the tax increase along with the House Democrats as they created this mess. - Demoralized - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 4:05 pm: So many lifetime politicos just clinging to bottom of the heap they created. People don’t care about a tax increase - they care about progress. Madigan is and has been anti-progress. The longer he sticks around, the worst thing this becomes. This is a fight the people of Illinois need - unfortunately. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 4:12 pm: ===Mike Madigan should own the tax increase along with the House Democrats as they created this mess.=== The Rauner Tax will be no different… …then the Quinn Tax, Edgar Ramp, Ryan Illinois First. Once Rauner signs his tax increase… Rauner will have to eat that too. That #TaxHikeMike ploy by Rauner… pure genius! - Signal and Noise - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 4:19 pm: “People don’t care about a tax increase” This is very comforting news to Pat Quinn - illini97 - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 4:26 pm: “People don’t care about a tax increase” You have any poll numbers to present on that? - Mama - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 6:38 pm: “If it were to even PASS… Rauner would sign… The Rauner Tax.” OW, are you sure Rauner would sign the tax increase bill if it passes? I’m not so sure he will sign it. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 6:53 pm: - Mama - The only way ANY budget works now is with required revenue. Rauner will sign any structured revenue bill… so fast our heads will collectively spin. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 30, 16 @ 7:18 pm: I think Madigan does not trust Rauner to use the “tax increase” revenue as earmarked by the GA’s budget. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.