Your move, Mr. Speaker
Wednesday, Jun 14, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Click here for the background if you need to catch up. I’m told that the Senate will not file its budget plan until tomorrow morning, so we won’t know the real details until then. I’m still waiting on the reform bills from the House, but they may be delayed too.
…Adding… The Senate is going ahead with its appropriations bill filing today. Stand by.
* This is a good point from Greg Hinz…
Rauner’s office confirmed the governor is willing to sign this package if it passes the Legislature. Earlier, he had laid out general terms but not, to my knowledge, specifically promised to sign any package of legislation.
That’s true. It’s a major first for the governor, who has played coy for well over two years. Give him credit for that.
But it means Gov. Rauner is now on record supporting the Senate Democrats’ tax hike plan with a couple of alterations: 1) Four years instead of permanent; 2) It won’t be retroactive to January 1st, so they’ll lose a bunch of revenues that will have to be made up in however they deal with the mountain of overdue bills (borrowing is most likely).
I’m told the Republicans won’t introduce their own tax hike bill, but will instead insist that SB 9 be amended or a new version filed.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
Illinois legislative Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a new budget plan that they say is balanced and includes meaningful reforms to grow the economy. It also includes tax increases.
At a news conference at Chicago’s Thomson Center attended by several GOP senators and representatives, Republican lawmakers said their latest plan incorporates a number of tax increases that were part of the Senate’s grand bargain, but with a few changes.
Senate Democrats approved a plan last month to permanently raise the income tax by 32 percent, from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, with no Republican support. Under the new GOP plan unveiled Wednesday, the increase would expire after four years. The four-year expiration date would coincide with a four-year property tax freeze that also is in the GOP plan. The income tax hike also would not be retroactive to Jan. 1, as the Democrat plan is, but would go into effect beginning July 1.
A family with annual income of $60,000 would pay the state an additional $720 a year under the GOP tax hike proposal, with their tax bills spiking from $2,250 to $2,970.
The property tax freeze includes an exemption on existing debt service payments as requested by Senate Democrats, but also would allow residents to lower or increase their taxes through voter referendum.
* Sun-Times…
Most importantly, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said Rauner would sign the new plan if passed. And he noted Republican votes are essential to passing a budget plan.
Beginning on June 1, a three-fifths majority is required to pass bills rather than a simple majority. That means any budget plan will now need 71 votes to pass and require Republican support.
“If he’s committed to breaking the budget impasse he needs to work with us, and work with me,” Durkin said of the speaker. “If he doesn’t talk to us nor work with us, to me it is just a reflection on his desire to do nothing and to make sure that the governor is the one who will be hurt next year in the gubernatorial campaign.”
Also, note that the Senate Democrats aren’t as negative about the plan this afternoon as they were earlier in the day…
John Patterson, spokesman for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, said there’s hope the Republican plan “is a serious, real step toward” compromise. He said the Senate president will wait for the bills to be filed to review the details and see how to proceed.
* The bottom line here is that the Senate Democrats, the governor and both Republican caucuses have all unveiled their own plans. The odd man out here is Speaker Madigan. It’s now his move.
- JDuc - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:34 pm:
Increase in income tax will expire in 4 years…..we won’t even be able to scratch the surface in 4 years.
- ILPundit - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
Whatever
And if/when Madigan makes a move, the Governor will move the goalposts, as always.
- Skeptic - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:36 pm:
“Durkin, .. said Rauner would sign the new plan if passed” Or he could throw the R’s under the bus like he did before. Until the ink is dry, the jury is still out.
- don the legend - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:37 pm:
The House will make changes. Major or minor differences, it will matter not. It will be enough for Rauner to pull his support and continue his “Blame Madigan” campaign.
- Joe Biden Was Here - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
It will be a blessing to all if a real budget is passed this year. Once it is ask yourself which part of the bill was impossible to pass last year or the year before. My guess is you won’t find anything that couldn’t have passed then. What a waste. Real people have been hurt. Sad.
- d.p.gumby - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:39 pm:
haven’t we been burned by expiring tax increase?
- Huh? - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:40 pm:
This seems like a ploy by the Republicans to sabotage any budget deal that is needed by the end of the month.
where was this proposal 6 months ago?
- Juice - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:42 pm:
If I were the Speaker, my first question would be how many GOP votes does Durkin have for SB 9. If the answer is 4, then you know it is not a genuine attempt to compromise.
- A guy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:49 pm:
I suggested earlier that this may be a step in the right direction and we’d need to see how big of a step. Now I’m back to hoping it’s big enough.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:53 pm:
I guess I’d approach this challenge if I were the Speaker would be this;
SB9 must have GOP Sponsors.
SB9 must guarantee 30 GOP House votes.
I’d then take to President Cullerton’s Plan as the blueprint to marry with the current GOP plan to find honest concurrence, but only… only… with the two clear assurances I listed above, and push the entire package, as promised, with 41 HDems votes, covering all areas, with the public assurance of signage, that the Governor has given with SB9, just not with GOP sponsors.
You get the GOP and the Governor’s signature on the needed revenue and, working with Cullerton, have a united Democratic face to end the impasse.
But SB9 “needs”, that’s the fulcrum.
- Markus - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:53 pm:
So what are those next moves by MJM?
100% GOP green lights required on revenue bill.
When GOP can’t/won’t deliver 100%, Dem support falls way short of 71 and something on the GOP compromise package drops off to gain a Dem vote or 2.
Next go around on the revenue bill the GOP delivers no less than 1st vote numbers or Dems let it fall short again and require another give back for another couple of Dem votes.
Eventually, we might get a real compromise that Dems can live with and then we wait for Rauner to torpedo the deal again.
If a judge doesn’t intervene in one of the cases to shut down government or force paying providers before end of July, we move to August when most schools don’t open. Then finally Rauner caves and we get the original Senate package approved.
In any scenario, 2018 ends Rauner’s reign of destruction with a Dem elected governor.
- Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
The odd man out is Speaker Madigan. True today and for every day of the Governor’s term.
Virtually no engagement or compromise or even acknowledgement of the problems stewing for decades that have caused so much out migration from Illinois
- walker - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:06 pm:
At least some cards are on the table. So McSweeney and Ives will vote for these tax increases? Rauner won’t undercut Durkin like he did Radogno? Automatic veto if the latest GOP proposal isn’t taken in toto?
My guess Markus scenario above is closer to reality.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:13 pm:
The voter referendum is the poison pill. It has the possibility of creating true local government chaos. Hopefully it will not pass.
If it does? Oh well, we get the government we deserve.
- Darn Lucky - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:34 pm:
The Illinois Policy Institute doesn’t have a “news” service.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 5:37 pm:
===The Illinois Policy Institute doesn’t have a “news” service.===
Describe “INN”.
Thanks.
- James Knell - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:01 pm:
“1) Four years instead of permanent..”
Screw that. Been there… It sucked.
What kind of person would want to go through all this again right before the NEXT election?
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:07 pm:
== “Durkin, .. said Rauner would sign the new plan if passed” ==
Color me cynical, but I won’t believe it until you have Rauner, on video, hooked up to a lie detector, signing a MOU that he will sign the proposed GOP budget.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:09 pm:
I knew I forgot something!
Thanks - RNUG -, yes.
MOUs, guaranteeing the spending matching the monies allocated to be spent, 100%.
- James Knell - Wednesday, Jun 14, 17 @ 6:20 pm:
“1) Four years instead of permanent”
No way! This was so much fun let’s NOT do it again in four years.
- stock - Friday, Jun 23, 17 @ 4:30 pm:
Illinois taxpayers and residents have now been sold out by both the Democrats and the Republicans — none of whom, it seems, have the guts to stand up for the taxpayers/voters/citizens. I’ll vote for anyone who votes against this “Grand Sellout” — and seek quality candidates to run against those who vote for it. Failing that, I’m moving to Tennessee where they care for their citizens.