* Tribune…
Rauner wants a statewide property tax freeze and a major overhaul of the workers’ compensation insurance program to cut costs on businesses, which he views as key to economic growth. Madigan, who long argued Rauner should not hold the budget process “hostage” to political demands, now says he has “reluctantly” given in on the need for some changes in order to end the impasse. Still, Madigan warned that Democrats will not simply give Rauner everything he wants, repeatedly calling on the governor to be “reasonable.”
To that end, Madigan said Democrats planned to vote on several pieces of legislation Wednesday designed to meet the governor part of the way, though Republicans said they feared the proposals would be “watered down” to the point they would achieve little in the way of change.
“I can’t determine whether they are sincere or not,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs.
The GOP pointed to a Madigan pattern of offering up versions of legislation he knows they can’t support, then blaming them when a deal falls apart. Democrats countered that Republicans were unable to recognize a fair bargain when offered, saying Rauner was immovable.
* Leader Durkin on today’s votes…
“Only three days remain in this fiscal year, time is running out. So after today’s political theater and ‘gotcha’ votes have finished, I’m calling on the legislative leaders to resume meeting and continue negotiations to bring this to a conclusion,” said House Republican Leader Jim Durkin.
That’s a very good response. Nobody should allow somebody else to derail the train.
Also, it’s decent political cover in case this whole thing does crash and burn beyond repair.
…Adding… From Durkin’s spokesperson via text…
Leader Durkin has offered his office for leaders to meet at 2 pm today
…Adding More… From the House GOP…
Leaders are meeting at 12:30 pm in Speaker Madigan’s office
- wondering - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:20 am:
Wonder if Durkin contemplates being relevant after J.B. assumes the governorship. Digging a great big hole.
- Blue Bayou - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:20 am:
Notable lack of substance from the Trib on what is contained in those categories of issues. They make it sound like Madigan isn’t giving the Governor “everything he wants” like he’s Scrooge keeping the Cratchits from having a merry Christmas.
- winners and losers - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Negotiations continue on amendments to SB 1, now being held in the Senate on a Motion to Reconsider.
- Stand Tall - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:23 am:
Madigan is offering window dressings when real reform is needed. J.B., is that Madigan’s new pool boy?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:24 am:
The complaint is always about paying and the high cost of insurance.
Funny thing, insurance, you notice it most when you need it.
Durkin ain’t wrong, but I’ve seen this movie before. Rauner has proven most recently that “close” really means “blow it up” I’d ask Leader Radogno about that.
It’s not a reflection on Leader Durkin… yet… but is an absolute insurance move “because… Rauner!”
If Leader Durkin has a GOP Revenue bill, with GOP sponsors and 30 GOP votes, proven, I 100% know is feel different… but I digress.
- Blue Bayou - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:27 am:
Stand Tall, can you detail the reforms with numbers on how much they save the state?
Thanks.
- Annonin' - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:28 am:
Durkie’s gonna be surprised to hear how many of his Demands were accepted in the compromise non budget bills. Hope he is payin’ attention.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:29 am:
===Rauner wants a statewide property tax freeze and a major overhaul of the workers’ compensation insurance program to cut costs on businesses,===
On the property tax freeze, as everyone knows, without exemptions for pensions, a freeze would actually harm school districts. How many mayors, elected county officials and school boards support this? Almost none think this is a good idea unless it is temporary, contains exemptions and the state pays more for education.
So it’s not just Madigan who thinks Rauner’s idea is bad policy. It is a host of elected officials from all corners of the state.
Second, Rauner wants “a major overhaul’ of workers comp, and yet he’s never spelled out exactly what that looks like. He’s dispatched Greg Baise to negotiate for him, but all of those negotiations are behind closed doors, with few outsiders privy to the details. So despite Durkin’s protestations that the proposals on the floor today will be “watered down,” how are we to know?
Politics is the art of the possible. Compromise is not the same as capitulation. If both sides are unhappy with the final plan, then we’ll know it’s a good compromise. Please tell me we’re close.
Pretty please?
- Piece of Work - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:32 am:
MJM has no interest in reforms that will help taxpayers. He just doesn’t. For anyone to think otherwise is delusional.
- Pelonski - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 10:55 am:
“MJM has no interest in reforms that will help taxpayers. He just doesn’t. For anyone to think otherwise is delusional.”
A better way to phrase this is that he has no interest in reforms that predominantly help a small group of taxpayers to the detriment of the remaining group of taxpayers. Most people who don’t share the Republican vision for Illinois pay taxes, too.
- Piece of Work - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:10 am:
Pelonski, who is this “small group of taxpayers” to whom you refer?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:13 am:
We are ALL taxpayers.
Parsing it out in any fashion is mouth-breathing ignorance to frame or askew a view that’s polarizing.
Get over yourselves.
- Piece of Work - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:22 am:
Willy, if we wanted your opinion, we would have asked. Enough of your typical lecturing.
Shouldn’t you comment on the U of I system? A topic you intimately know.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:23 am:
===without exemptions for pensions, a freeze would actually harm school districts===
How? The state pays school pension costs for everyone but CPS.
Back to the drawing board…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:26 am:
- Piece of Work -
When you take over this blog…
I’ll leave you ton the lecturing of President Killeen. “You know”, lol.
To the Post,
It’s good to see this will be a Leaders’ meeting, not just Madigan and Durkin, one on one.
They’re burning daylight. It’s gotta get through BOTH Chambers too. The “triangulation” time has come and gone. We need, as a state, a budget.
- Flynn's mom - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:37 am:
Are any of them really “leaders”?
- Union Dues - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:47 am:
After Durkin acknowledges she that his “required” bills cant pass then I will agree with him. Until he does this is necessary.
- 47th Ward - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:55 am:
===How?===
My bad. It’s bad for local government pensions. For schools, a freeze might be OK for a year or two, but after that, depending on the contracts with teachers, there will be some painful choices to make.
But your point is well taken on teacher pensions being paid by the state (except Chicago).
- sharkette - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 12:06 pm:
A 600+ page property tax freeze that exempts pensions? Tax bills are 90% pension,, what a joke that is.
“The GOP pointed to a Madigan pattern of offering up versions of legislation he knows they can’t support, then blaming them when a deal falls apart.”
Got that right Trib..
- wackyweds - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 12:19 pm:
==
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 11:23 am:
===without exemptions for pensions, a freeze would actually harm school districts===
How? The state pays school pension costs for everyone but CPS.
Back to the drawing board… ==
Schools do pick up some costs. More importantly, the republican and senate democrat bills include a cost shift for local pensions. You cant pass cost shift in one bill and shut down the ability to pay for it in another.
- My New Handle - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 12:59 pm:
I have no respect for a “governor” who refuses to definitively state what any of his “reforms” or his budget actually are in bill form. The legislature, at least in the Senate, does his work for him. Madigan wants Rauner on record with details of what he will agree to sign into law. And Madigan is spot on regarding that.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 1:12 pm:
== How? The state pays school pension costs for everyone but CPS. ==
The State also doesn’t pay city / county / township / police / fire / etc. pensions. Some of those, especially municipalities, are also ticking time bombs. A freeze would hurt them.
- RNUG - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 1:28 pm:
== Tax bills are 90% pension, ==
They break out pensions on my property tax bill. They are a long, long way from 90% of my tax bill. As I posted the other day, schools are between 68% and 72% of the bills I pay.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 7:08 pm:
=If Leader Durkin has a GOP Revenue bill, with GOP sponsors and 30 GOP votes, proven, I 100% know is feel different… but I digress.=
This is key. If Durkie was a big boy he would have that done already since the GOP already introduced a spending plan.
=How? The state pays school pension costs for everyone but CPS.=
To add to RNUG- TRS cost shift is coming, which is a good thing, but a revenue stream will be needed. My gut tells me that the gutless legislature will pass funding reform and then schools will be forced to use any revenue for cost shift. No gain, and big losses fr schools.
Madigan was approached 5 or 6 years ago when cost shift was first floated. He was asked if he would allow schools to levy for the pension. The answer was a curt “no”.
It is odd because we can levy for IMRF and SSI, but TRS no?
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 7:12 pm:
== Tax bills are 90% pension, =
That is pure and utter BS dog whistle material. From your school district pensions are likely 10% of the school tax bill since we can only levy for IMRF and SSI. Those in IMRF/SSI are generally on the lower end of the pay scale with the exception of maintenance and custodial.
A ton of your income tax goes to pay DEBT that the the OLGA and governors ran up in order to play the tax rate charade. Games up and the credit card bills is too big to ignore.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Jun 28, 17 @ 7:24 pm:
=== From your school district pensions are likely 10% of the school tax bill===
The state picks up almost all school pension costs except for Chicago. Employees pay their share, and some districts pick that up, but it’s hardly 10 percent of taxes.