* Press release…
Governor Bruce Rauner today issued an amendatory veto of SB 1839 to ensure that critical 9-1-1 services continue without a massive tax hike on Illinois families and businesses.
“The majority in the General Assembly waited until the last moment to send this 9-1-1 service reauthorization bill to my desk. Unfortunately, those lawmakers also inserted a major tax hike into this bill, a tax that’s both excessive and unwarranted, and that I strongly oppose,” Governor Rauner said. “This extreme increase is unfair and indefensible. But the majority in the General Assembly is using the threat of cancellation of 9-1-1 services on Saturday as leverage to force this tax hike through over my opposition.”
In the amendatory veto, the Governor removed all the surcharge increases and special interest giveaways. He also revoked the sunsets on the Emergency Telephone System Act and the sections regarding telecommunications and cable and video in the Public Utilities Act. These changes mean 9-1-1 would continue in Illinois without the General Assembly having to pass legislation to renew the service.
“This mean-spirited strategy has been employed by the majority repeatedly over the years, most prominently in the current budget impasse: holding innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage as leverage to force excessive, unwarranted tax hikes onto the people of Illinois,” Governor Rauner said. “This practice must stop.”
“The majority” was actually a bipartisan super majority, and an even bigger bipartisan super majority passed another, revamped bill this week.
And you gotta wonder if this way over the top partisan slam was in response to Speaker Madigan’s mention of “the governor’s budget crisis” in his letter to ratings agencies today.
Everybody, take a breath already.
But at least he vetoed it in time to override it.
- Reality Check - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:00 pm:
holding innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage as leverage
Project much?
- Texas Red - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:04 pm:
Mean…mean-spirited, come on they sound like Trump. Lol !
- Winnin' - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:05 pm:
He’s just mean.
- Anon1234 - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:06 pm:
holding innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage as leverage
I said it first. Stop copying me.
- Liberty - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:10 pm:
Behold the power of the veto…
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:10 pm:
(Cue Chuck Schumer’s “Mean” poster board… )
- Anon221 - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
Will the votes hold in the override? Hopefully. After Ives’ tirade yesterday, I know she’ll be Red. She really got wound up and mostly counter-clockwise.
- Aldyth - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
Do the override. A bipartisan effort will communicate a lot.
- Linus - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:12 pm:
Plus, his AV message adds, he’s quit watching Joe and Mika’s “low energy, low ratings” show.
- Norseman - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:13 pm:
Exhibit Y as to why Rauner should NOT be in the leaders meeting. C’mon man, try getting a budget at least once in your term.
- ILPundit - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:13 pm:
Rauner is to vetoing as Trump is to tweeting.
- Big Hurt - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:14 pm:
Massive? Sheesh.
My bill will go up what, $1.00? To keep 911 services?
I will survive.
- Seymourkid - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:16 pm:
So, did Rauner remove the funding source for 911 with his AV.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
So you’re not buying that whole “he meant governor’s budget,” not “governor’s crisis” thing, right?
Back to the drawing board.
- Steve Rogers - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:22 pm:
So that’s what Rauner was doing at his desk yesterday, deciding which words to cross out of SB1839. He was looking so determined, I knew it had to be something serious. /s
- sonny chiss - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:31 pm:
—-holding innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage as leverage—-
that’s some serious chutzpah right there, must be counting on most voters not remembering the famous “wedge issue” and “crisis creates opportunity” quote. Oh wait…
- Ginhouse Tommy - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:54 pm:
Override It’s time he found out he doesn’t have the final say on everything under the dome. Anyway I thought he’d cornered the market on mean-spirited.
- Jane A. - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:55 pm:
If only the super majority of Illinois legislators would get brave enough to pull a Kansas and do what is right and necessary for the good of our poor, battered state. By “state” I mean all the people who live and work here. The governor and his pal the richest man in Illinois excluded, of course, since what is right for them doesn’t appear to be good for anyone else.
- Gregory Beitel - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:56 pm:
Quit deceiving the public Governor Rauner. The surcharge increases in SB1839 are not taxes. You know it yet you continue to call them a tax. The increases are needed to adequately fund 9-1-1 systems throughout the state. Their was unanimous support from both parties, in both houses of the legislature. You are going to lose a lot of support in the public safety community for re-election.
- Anonymous - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 3:06 pm:
The GA now has options. They can approve the bill as amended, without the tax increases, or they can override and show how badly they want phone fees to skyrocket. Their call now.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 3:11 pm:
===phone fees to skyrocket===
For most of the state, it’s less than a buck.
- GOP Extremist - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 3:31 pm:
And you gotta wonder if this way over the top….
It hard to judge. Most statements I read from the Governor or his office are over the top with a belligerent tone.
- SAP - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 3:36 pm:
If the Governor can figure out to make this “veto the tax hike and let those bad legislators override my veto” thing work on the budget bill he’ll be golden.
- Huh? - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 3:59 pm:
“it’s less than a buck.”
That is going to cut into the Casey’s coffee budget.
- mickie - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 4:24 pm:
Seriously? a huge tax hike? first of all it’s not a tax, it’s a phone surcharge and secondly it will cost the down state consumer less than $8 a year.
- DuPage - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 4:45 pm:
@- Anon221 - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 2:11 pm:
===Will the votes hold in the override? Hopefully. After Ives’ tirade yesterday, I know she’ll be Red. She really got wound up and mostly counter-clockwise.===
She is always that way.
- Chambananon - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 4:46 pm:
How is this not a tax? Government-imposed, monetary charge to fund a government service — kinda the traditional definition of one, right?
That’s not say it’s a bad bill — just saying that denying it’s a tax is engaging in the use of a very odd definition of the word “tax”.
- Longsummer - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 4:59 pm:
He vetoed ATT piece too. Smart man.
- FDRDemocrat - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 5:42 pm:
Hopefully the General Assembly over ride SB1839.
It will fund 911 in counties that still do not have it, upgrade old systems - primarily downstate- and provide 911 the resources needed for the entire state to move to next generation 911.
- Ihatepolitics - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 6:09 pm:
Chambananon, a fee is a fixed amount whereas a tax is a percentage of. Since this is a fixed amount, it’s a fee.
- Anon221 - Friday, Jun 30, 17 @ 9:47 pm:
DuPage- “She’s always that way.”
I know, but she was nearly hyperventilating during the debate:)
Her area is 911 Golden to hear her tell it, rest of the state, who cares was how she came across.