Special session roundup
Monday, Jun 26, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tribune…
After years of railing against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner for making several “non-budget” items a prerequisite to a spending agreement, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan announced Sunday he’s come up with his own demands if there’s to be a deal.
* Illinois Public Radio…
Madigan says he expects three things from Rauner: signing the Democrats’ big education funding overhaul, letting Illinois regulate workers’ compensation insurance rates, and slowing down a big change in the Medicaid program, so it can go through the normal state procurement process.
“This is a governmental negotiation. This is a situation where nobody gets 100 percent,” Madigan said. “I asked the Republican leaders: Please go down to the governor and explain — in a governmental negotiation, nobody gets 100 percent. Please do that.” […]
“Remember, there’s been a lot of complaints about the governor ‘moving the goalposts’ — we just saw that today from the Democrats,” [House GOP Leader Jim Durkin] said. “But you know, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We’ll work it out.”
“I think the fact that they’re willing to negotiate, to me, is a little more movement than we’ve seen in the past,” he said.
* SJ-R…
Madigan said House Democrats are working on a bill to freeze property taxes, although he did not say for how long. Madigan said the length of a freeze is an “open question.” […]
Although Durkin said there were some positives from the meeting, he said there won’t be another one until the House Democrats produce their own balanced budget plan.
“The fact is, we’re not going to meet until we actually get a plan out of the House Democrats,” Durkin said. “We’ve got five days left.”
“That’s forthcoming very shortly,” said Madigan who added that he wants to meet with the leaders again on Tuesday.
* But it wasn’t all roses. For instance, here’s Madigan on the property tax freeze…
“Only because the governor wants to impose that on people who depend upon public schools to education children, OK? It’s part of the extreme right agenda,” Madigan said of Rauner insistence on a property tax freeze.
Local property taxes are the primary funding source for schools.
“That is the furthest from the truth. And that’s really disappointing at this stage, after two and a half years that it has now become part of some right wing conspiracy. That doesn’t help,” House GOP Leader Jim Durkin said of Madigan’s comment. “Our property taxes are the worst … in the United States. Not a good statement to make.”
* And…
Will Madigan agree to Rauner’s term limits proposal? “I strongly believe in the wisdom of the people of Illinois and how they vote,” Madigan said before referring to his own reelection. “We had a term limits question on the Southwest Side of Chicago about a year and a half ago. There was a million dollars spent against me — and the people voted for me.”
* Related…
* Durkin raw audio
* Madigan raw audio
* Cullerton raw audio
* Cullerton press release
- JS Mill - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 9:47 am:
=“Remember, there’s been a lot of complaints about the governor ‘moving the goalposts’ — we just saw that today from the Democrats,” [House GOP Leader Jim Durkin] said.=
Not a Madigan fan, but they wanted to hear his offer and just did so I don’t see how that is “moving the goal posts” in this instance. But Durkie uses the Rauner wordjumble and sometimes he gets his talking points mixed up.
=“But you know, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We’ll work it out.”=
Prove it.
I would take some honest bargaining at this point.
From everyone.
- Rod - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 9:55 am:
Brian Mackey gets it wrong when he characterizes SB 1 as “the Democrats’ big education funding overhaul.” The bill was as much the god child of Roger Eddy, a former leading Republican in the House, now current Executive Director Illinois Association of School Boards, as it was of Senator Manar or any Democrat. What turned the bill into a so called Democrat bill was Rep Will Davis’ amendment relating to CPS funding.
- Harry - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 9:57 am:
Yes, a property tax freeze without big changes in State support for K-14 education, formula and amount, and changes in the Education Labor Act to help school districts negotiate harder with their unions, is ridiculous.
- Anonymous - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 10:15 am:
Same ‘ol same ‘ol. Democrats can’t do anything because the IlGOP will beat them over head as ‘tax & spend Liberals.’
- GOP Extremist - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 10:32 am:
Thank you Harry, for highlighting the extreme portions of the Republican property tax freeze. Attacks on collective bargaining and prevailing wage laws, by the Right, are not some wild conspiracy.
- The Real Just Me - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 11:55 am:
How is it moving the goal posts for the Speaker to demand that the Governor sign 2 bills already passed by the General Assembly: SB 1 & HB2525 (workers comp insurance reform)? The goal posts are where they have been since the bills passed. The Governor can sign or veto, kick or don’t kick.
- Mama - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 1:50 pm:
I feel Rauner wants a permanent property tax freeze so public schools will not have the money to grant raises or pay benefits.
Rauner also wants a permanent property tax freeze to force towns/villages to consolidate.
- 39th Ward - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 2:48 pm:
Demanding a new state government role in regulating workers compensation rates just means that Madigan is not serious about the negotiations.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Jun 26, 17 @ 9:52 pm:
What makes Speaker Madigan think he can determine the price over 300 different workers comp insurance companies charge?
Has he been paying attention to what happens when the government tells an insurance company how much they can charge for an Obamacare policy?
We have state’s with just one health insurance company now bidding on Obamacare business
Given their track record on pensions, the Speaker should love the insurance to the free market where companies compete for business.
It would take just one company to see what a goldmine is for workers comp and lower their premiums accordingly. None have dome so. Why?
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/03/iowa-health-insurers-obamacare/309955001/