Special session, day one
Wednesday, Jun 21, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
The first day of a special session on Illinois’ budget impasse is off to a slow start.
About half an hour after convening on Wednesday, the Illinois House adjourned until Thursday. House members will spend Wednesday meeting privately and holding public hearings. The Senate, which also convened Wednesday, will also meet privately.
* It looks like workers are setting up for a Committee of the Whole in the House tomorrow…
…Adding… I tipped subscribers about this possibility earlier today…
* Meanwhile…
Republican lawmakers Wednesday laid resolution of the state’s budget impasse squarely at the feet of House Speaker Michael Madigan.
At a Statehouse news conference as a 10-day special session was about to begin, Republican lawmakers said the House Democrats are the only group that has yet to lay out a spending and revenue plan to end the nearly two-year budget stalemate.
“Speaker Madigan and the House Democrats will need Republican votes if they want to end this impasse,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. “It is up to them. The time for just having vague, general discussions is over.”
Durkin was referring to the fact it now takes 71 votes in the House to pass bills, including a budget. Democrats hold 67 seats in the chamber.
The Republicans dodged repeated questions about why they won’t introduce their own tax hike bill.
* And Rep. Lou Lang delivered another one of his patented rants at the end of today’s session. Lang chastised the governor for spending “millions of dollars” on TV ads attacking Speaker Madigan and sending out as many as 15 mailers attacking individual House Democrats despite the call by House GOP Leader Jim Durkin for everyone to “lay down their arms” and work on a deal…
“We agree that it’s time to lay down our arms and our weaponry. And so I challenge Leader Durkin today to march down to Room 200 in this building and ask the governor to lay down his arms and his weaponry and do the business of the people of the state of Illinois. It will take even less than the three minutes and fifteen seconds he talked yesterday about the needs of the people of the state of Illinois.”
Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) then rose to say people on his side of the aisle will do everything they can to “make our time during the next ten days as bipartisan as possible to get something done of the people of Illinois.”
The House is adjourned until noon tomorrow. The Senate is caucusing. Keep an eye on our live coverage post for further developments.
* Related…
* Illinois Policy Institute: Republican plan perpetuates Illinois’ financial crisis - The Illinois Republicans’ budget proposal includes billions in tax hikes and has an ineffective spending “cap” that will likely result in deficit spending by 2020. The plan’s lack of reforms sets taxpayers up for a permanent tax hike in 2022.
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:03 pm:
“Speaker Madigan and the House Democrats will need Republican votes if they want to end this impasse,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. “It is up to them. The time for just having vague, general discussions is over.”
Durkin was referring to the fact it now takes 71 votes in the House to pass bills, including a budget. Democrats hold 67 seats in the chamber.
****
Hate to break it to Durkin, but the Republicans need Democrats to press Green, too. Didn’t see the roster for the House, but only 102 of 118 were in attendance. If there are no-shows throughout this process, 71 may be even harder to get to. So, keep the Raunerite line, or be prepared to do a “Kansas” break.
- BigLou - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:03 pm:
Is that the same Lou Lang that Crains said was upset when Rauner wouldnt give his daughter a job when he became Governor.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:08 pm:
BigLou apparently hasn’t gotten the message to lay down his arms. lol
- cdog - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:10 pm:
“The Republicans dodged repeated questions about why they won’t introduce their own tax hike bill.”
This. Every day. All day.
Once again, I fear that all the politicians are mostly just carnival confidence shysters.
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
===Is that the same Lou Lang that Crains said was upset when Rauner wouldnt give his daughter a job when he became Governor.===
Is that the same Crains that said the state is worse off in nearly every measure since Rauner took office?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
===
“Speaker Madigan and the House Democrats will need Republican votes if they want to end this impasse,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs. “It is up to them. The time for just having vague, general discussions is over.”
Durkin was referring to the fact it now takes 71 votes in the House to pass bills, including a budget. Democrats hold 67 seats in the chamber.===
(Sigh)
This is honest to the truth needed to get a deal done.
1) GOP Sponsorship of the taxes needs to pay for the budget.
2) At least 30 GOP House votes to pass it out with 71
Four GOP Votes?
That’s blatantly dishonest to what needs to happen. Leader Durkin knows it.
- Ahoy! - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:18 pm:
Lang is a hypocrite, the democrats do the same thing the Governor is doing. Democrats are just upset that the republicans are actually uping their political game to be on somewhat on par with the democratic political machine.
Let’s all stop pretending that these people are honest and just realize they are what they are, politicians who lie a lot… all of them.
- Shemp - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
===The plan’s lack of reforms sets taxpayers up for a permanent tax hike in 2022.===
Please dear Lord, do not tell me the Republicans created all this chaos for naught….
- Really - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:27 pm:
“Leader” Durkin once again holds the state of Illinois hostage until his demands are met, that ain’t unity that ain’t bipartisan.
I shouldn’t be so hard on durkin he is just doing as he is told. He doesn’t realize Rauner will turn on him if he should deliver any votes. That’s a long skinny branch durkin is standing on
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jun 21, 17 @ 2:31 pm:
Did Rauner just whisper a “good boy!” to Tillman??? The ILGOP needs to realize they are being set up to be knocked down by eager Raunerites hiding in that dark corner with Rauner. Focus on Kansas. Focus!