* Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)…
Dear Neighbors,
May 31st is supposed to be the last day of the legislative session, but that deadline has been meaningless for the last two years. This year is no exception. I am beyond disappointed in our failure to find a solution yet again. Once again, we have failed to pass a budget and the carnage of this standoff shows more clearly every day. Our human services system has been nearly destroyed, our higher education institutions are hemorrhaging money and staff, and those least able to afford it are enduring most of the pain.
It is easy to get bogged down in the confusing daily minutiae of this historic failure, so I will try to provide a thousand-foot view for the sake of perspective. When Governor Rauner took office two years ago, he demanded we pass a series of union-busting, non-budgetary reforms before he would agree to any budget deal. A former executive in the private sector, he has never seemed willing or able to grasp the fact that because lawmaking is a system of checks and balances he must negotiate with Democrats, who control both legislative chambers. I personally negotiated two bills with Governor Rauner’s administration in his first year in office (HB218 & HB494), passed them, and watched him veto both after moving the goalposts.
He has demonstrated a callous willingness to crush the state’s social services, using poor folks and children in the public school system as fiscal hostages to leverage “reforms” that would by his own accounting save us only a small fraction of the state’s expenditures. Our bill backlog has nearly tripled since Governor Rauner has taken office, and the payment cycle has ballooned from around 30 days to around 6 months.
The Governor isn’t wrong that we need reforms, and Democrats are certainly not blameless in this awful ordeal. That is why the Senate worked for months on bipartisan reforms to education funding, local government consolidation, worker’s compensation, pensions, and more. These talks intentionally excluded both the Governor and Speaker Madigan, as all previous discussions including the two of them have produced nothing but shameless political posturing and wasted time. Eventually, despite reaching negotiated bills with their Republican colleagues, the Governor killed the talks by convincing Republican Senators to vote in opposition because he didn’t get everything he wanted. Though the bills contained many of the provisions sought by the Republicans, including painful spending cuts and significant reforms, Senate Democrats were forced to pass the bills themselves.
As a House appropriations chair and a member of the budget negotiating team for the House Democrats, I advocated for our caucus to send that package back to the Senate with some progressive changes even if we could not count on Republican support. There is plenty to dislike about the package sent over by the Senate and I heard from many constituents concerned about specific cuts and policy changes, but ultimately we need a fully funded budget. We have gone as far as we can go on patchwork solutions. With every “lifeline” and “stopgap” we pass, someone is left out or underfunded and the source of those funds simply cannot sustain the whole state.
On May 30th, a group of deeply passionate advocates ended a weeks-long march to Springfield from Chicago to protest this injustice. They conducted a sit-in outside the Governor’s office, demanding that he and Speaker Madigan put aside their posturing and remember that what we do, or fail to do, has massive impact on the everyday lives of Illinoisans. I stayed late into the night to stand witness with three colleagues as they were dragged away, one by one, arrested for trespassing. It was a deeply emotional scene, and one that reinforced my resolve that these political games must end.
As work wound down on May 31st, Speaker Madigan announced that we would schedule public hearings of all the House Appropriations committees and keep the House in session in June to seek a resolution before the end of the State’s fiscal year on June 30. I would not have chosen this path. I forcefully advocated for my colleagues to take the politically risky but morally correct vote and send a balanced budget to the Governor. But passing a bill requires 60 votes, and there were not 60 members of either party willing to take that vote. Now that we are beyond the May 31st deadline, the rules require that anything we pass must get a super-majority to take effect immediately. This means that any budget we pass will require participation by the Republicans to get 71 votes.
I expect that the hearing schedule will be finalized shortly and will provide an update as soon as it is available. I want to believe that the Governor and Speaker Madigan understand that we cannot continue to destroy our state, piece by piece. I absolutely agree with a member of House Republican leadership who recently publicly stated that we have already done more damage to the state than any “reforms” can fix.
I will continue to advocate as forcefully as possible that it is past time to simply do the right thing and pass a budget, politics be damned.
Best,
State Representative Kelly Cassidy
The two bills she’s talking about are marijuana decriminalization and getting rid of the lifetime ban on school employment for people convicted of drug offenses.
* From a letter to the editor by Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) and posted to her website…
Today, another spring legislative session ended, and with it ended another opportunity to stop the financial death spiral gripping Illinois. Despite the efforts of many rank-and-file members to create a balanced budget compromise, Illinois’ rigged political system has once again superseded good governance.
Over the past year, I took part in working groups and special commissions to address the budget crisis and the pressing need to reform Illinois’ school funding formula. These good faith discussions and negotiations were more productive than I expected and I was optimistic about the legislation we began to put together. Staying positive in Springfield these days isn’t easy, but it seemed like a ray of hope was finally beginning to shine.
Sadly, Speaker Madigan once again wielded his power to pull the rug out from under these efforts at the last minute. It’s clear that even though the methods of the past aren’t working anymore, the Speaker is more interested in keeping control of the process, whatever the cost. His own leadership team has suggested on multiple occasions that there won’t be a full budget during Governor Rauner’s term. This is not how our Republic is supposed to work. Meanwhile, taxpayers, job creators and those in need of certainty for social services will continue lose out.
We can still pass a balanced budget before the current fiscal year ends on June 30, albeit through a more restrictive process now. Failure to do so will cause even more services to stop. We must stop the political games and do what’s right to pass a balanced budget built on reasonable reform before it is too late.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:26 am:
===Sadly, Speaker Madigan once again wielded his power to pull the rug out from under these efforts at the last minute.===
Dear Ms. Wheeler,
Explain the governor blowing up, twice, the Senate’s Grand Bargain(s), undercutting Leader Radogno, and never cornering Speaker Madigan to force a deal.
“No, I’ll wait, thanks.”
- Jocko - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:32 am:
==Speaker Madigan once again wielded his power==
Like OW said, your argument would hold water if the GB (which Bruce budgeted for) found it’s way to the House.
Perhaps Barbara should be asking Christine and the Senate Republicans how much (requested) additional time they need.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:36 am:
Homeless shelters aren’t profitable to corporate republicans.
- Annonin' - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:37 am:
Rep Wheeler writin’ like a lonely, lonely person. Perhaps she was nappin’ when SB1 passed the house. We know DopeyDuct wrecked the Senate work and force the Ds to pass a plan with unavailable and not enough bonding to even pay the old bill with Prompt Pay interest.
Meanwhile we should writin’ the head of the Purvis Commission to get Dopey’s signature on the bills.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:39 am:
===Homeless shelters aren’t profitable to corporate republicans.===
With respect,
Raunerism isn’t based on the ideals of the Republican Party.
What I’m reading is Raunerism being packaged to blame Democrats, flying under the false colors of the Republican Party, today, this statement, and the past 30 months of Rauner’s takeover of two csucuses.
Again, with respect.
- Deft Wing - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:48 am:
Wheeler’s in the House and explained what happened there … Madigan blew the process up. Yet again.
Perhaps the uninitiated would do well to read and re-read CapFax, especially last week’s end-of-session offerings, because it is clear Madigan wants nothing to do with a deal.
- Try-4-Truth - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:57 am:
====- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:39 am:
===Homeless shelters aren’t profitable to corporate republicans.===
With respect,
Raunerism isn’t based on the ideals of the Republican Party.
What I’m reading is Raunerism being packaged to blame Democrats, flying under the false colors of the Republican Party, today, this statement, and the past 30 months of Rauner’s takeover of two csucuses.
Again, with respect.===
Mr. Willy, I greatly respect you, but the Republican Party cannot run from Bruce Rauner. He is what it means to be a Republican in Illinois today. Just like Democrats can’t run from Mike Madigan, Republicans own Gov. Rauner. If Republicans don’t like how the he governs, there are ways to excise him from the party.
You are famous for saying “Governors own”, well, political parties own as well. He bought himself the ILGOP, and he is it. Like it or not.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 9:58 am:
It’s unclear from her statement whether Rep. Wheeler is planning to vote for the Rauner tax increases needed to balance the budget.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:01 am:
===Perhaps the uninitiated would do well to read and re-read CapFax, especially last week’s end-of-session offerings, because it is clear Madigan wants nothing to do with a deal===
Oh, - Deft Wing -…
Then why no finger-waving at the Governor? You think that cornering Madigan, with a bargained budget passing the Senate isn’t a good thing to force Speaker Madigan’s hand?
That’s fun.
The ridiculousness of Ms. Wheeler’s email only works if its acknowledged that Rauner blew up, twice, the best way to corner Speaker Madigan to get the state a deal. Otherwise, it’s Rauner Word Jumble-ness run amok.
I guess you and Ms. Wheeler see the undercutting of Leader Radogno as “inconsequential”? That’s an interesting take.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:01 am:
Sorry folks, I posted my comment to the wrong post.
It should have been on another hostage goes down.
I bow lowest to you OW
At the same time I respectfully submit that the Illinois Republican Party is a wholely owned entity.
Only Rodogno stood in contrast for a while
Yet she is now in line and compliance.
Unfortunately you are one of the last of the Jedi good sir.
So now I paint with a broad brush.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:07 am:
- Try-4-Truth -, Honeybear,…
I read your responses.
There’s a great deal I can’t refute. There’s a great deal that has provable truth too.
You’re both not wrong. As Raunerism as enveloped the former ILGOP, my only hope is to remind those willing to stand up, Like Leader Radogno, that there are those like me, (I think? lol) that see the honest Republican brokering within the shadows Raunerism likes to cast.
Thanks for calling what the other side of my thought is.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:13 am:
Rep. Cassidy is spot-on about Rauner’s union-busting. He spent much of his term attacking union rights. That’s wasted time, for those who care about budgets being passed.
The real Bruce Rauner has been kept in check by Democrats. The real Bruce Rauner would have decimated union rights and other worker protections with a GOP-controlled GA that’s afraid of him and does his bidding.
I agree with others about Rauner blowing up the budget process, and not Madigan. Rauner twice refused to support the real progress made in the Senate.
- 47th Ward - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:15 am:
===Madigan blew the process up.===
By not voting on a tax hike that no Republicans would vote for? Is that what you mean? Lol.
Mike Madigan and the House Republican votes he controls.
- Honeybear - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:23 am:
So OW I was thinking about your “three things” of long ago.
Your path
1) Budget
2) Labor peace
Then I totally forgot the third. What was it?
What would you say for another three to lead Republicans back from Rauner, from perfidy and deciept?
- Nick Name - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:26 am:
“Speaker Madigan once again wielded his power to pull the rug out from under these efforts at the last minute.”
Gov. Rauner once again wielded his power to pull the rug out from under these efforts all session long.
Fixed it for you.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 10:30 am:
===Then I totally forgot the third. What was it?===
1) Get passed and sign FY2015 budget fix.
(See Good Friday Massacre cuts and erosion of trust thereafter)
2) FY2016 Budget
(Never happened, quasi-stop-gap-thingy, trust continues to erode)
3) Labor Peace
(AFSCME, “Decatur”, “Lincolnshire”)
By nearly every measure of my “asks”, Rauner failed.
I guess the only asks I have left is for autonomous caucuses to help propel a grand bargain that corners both Madigan and Rauner.
Those 3 “asks” seem like a decade ago…
- Objective Dem - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 11:29 am:
I like Rep. Cassidy, but she has the Democratic problem of over explaining. I could barely read my way through her letter. The Dems need to remember that regular people want clear concise info. I don’t know if Rep. Wheeler’s letter is the complete letter, but it is much shorter and to the point.
- Free Set of Steak Knives - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 12:24 pm:
=== I forcefully advocated for my colleagues to take the politically risky but morally correct vote and send a balanced budget to the Governor. ===
And then what, Representative Cassidy?
Tell me what your plan was after getting 60 Democrats in the House to vote to raise the tax rate to 5.8%, and then the Governor vetoing?
I want to be with you, but I don’t see how your plan actually gets us a budget.
If you have a secret plan to get 71 votes for a tax hike in the House, now is the time to share it with the rest of us.
- Just Curious - Monday, Jun 5, 17 @ 3:04 pm:
The more I look at all of this the more I believe that this whole Rauner being guv thing stems from one of those rich frat boy bets, like the one in the Akroyd/ Murphy Trading Places. Rauner bet his moneyed friends that for $1.00 he could take Madigan down. Remember its only about winning.