Madigan accused of breaking deal
Tuesday, Jul 4, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times…
Madigan told reporters that Republican leaders skipped out on a leaders meeting on Monday afternoon but said he will continue to work with Republican leaders about changes to workers’ compensation and a property tax freeze.
While he described Republican support for the income tax as a show of resistance against Rauner, Republican leaders believe Democrats abandoned the negotiating process by moving forward with the votes. Illinois Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s office confirmed he wouldn’t attend a leaders meeting on Tuesday.
At issue are some of the requests made during negotiations. Durkin’s office contends Democrats asked for a “good faith” vote from Republicans on the spending plan, which they came through with last week, and an assurance they would help to override the governor’s veto of a bill which, in part, authorizes phone carriers to pay out 911 centers.
Both of those happened, yet Madigan — despite ongoing negotiations on reforms — moved forward with votes.
Good points. But 15 of Durkin’s own members broke ranks to support the tax hike. They clearly saw different writing on the Statehouse walls.
…Adding… From comments…
Also, the day before, when Madigan announced his plans to not hold votes on Saturday and Sunday, Durkin went to the floor to excoriate Madigan for not getting a budget package to the floor that very day. And then the House GOP applauded Durkin wildly, and one GOP member even heckled the Speaker.
So Madigan called his bluff.
Don’t gamble unless you are willing to have your bet called. Durkin has no leg to stand on here.
* Meanwhile, the Republican leaders have stopped talking…
“We worked with Republicans today on those issues; we’ll continue to work with the Republicans on those issues until they’re resolved,” Madigan said.
Republicans appear unconvinced. Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said the speaker is “clearly trying to distract from his 32 percent permanent tax hike.” Spokeswomen for Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin would not say why the two men didn’t attend Monday’s meeting, but Durkin’s office said he would not attend Tuesday. Brady’s spokeswoman indicated without all leaders attending, Brady won’t either.
The absences raised questions in Cullerton’s mind about where negotiations, particularly on the tangential Rauner demands, stand.
“We have to do something,” Cullerton said. “The House has acted but we’d prefer to do it in agreement with Republicans.”
- Hamlet's Ghost - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:31 am:
Had Madigan not called that vote, the credit down grade to junk status would have happened already.
- Captain Ed Smith - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:32 am:
2 1/2 years of WC negotiations, property tax negotiations, budget, revenue and no deal. State was staring at a fiscal cliff on 7/5. How much longer were the working groups suppose to negotiate? GOP wanted to tag Madigan with Junk status now it is all on Bruce. Take a victory lap. Manage the budget, control spending with your executive authority and spend the next two years making the case for an eventual repeal.
- ILPundit - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:32 am:
Also, the day before, when Madigan announced his plans to not hold votes on Saturday and Sunday, Durkin went to the floor to excoriate Madigan for not getting a budget package to the floor that very day. And then the House GOP applauded Durkin wildly, and one GOP member even heckled the Speaker.
So Madigan called his bluff.
Don’t gamble unless you are willing to have your bet called. Durkin has no leg to stand on here.
- Eight Zero - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:33 am:
Rep. Durkin demanded a vote, and Speaker Madigan obliged. And now, Rep Durkin is crying? Please stop.
- Cadillac - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:33 am:
I think they are just going to let Madigan stay out on the limb: “32% tax increase and no real reforms to show for it because the Speaker was stubborn enough to let the State sink into the abyss.”
I believe that is the narrative after the veto override.
- Sigh - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:37 am:
Three years without a budget is a disgrace, but it gets worse when one considers how out of whack the state budgets were for the past decade. It is an absolute mess.
Words that will never be heard in the Capitol: “Austerity budget.”
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:40 am:
By their actions, 15 House Republicans weighed in on their beliefs in the efforts of Durkin/Rauner to make a good faith deal.
That’s telling.
Yesterday, Rep. Bryant was quoted as saying extreme far-right elements are acting to burn the state down.
When a conservative Republican lawmaker from Southern Illinois says that, we should all pay attention.
- Anon221 - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:46 am:
Does it come down to what Rauner wants vs. what the State and our families, friends, and neighbors need? Durkin seems to think so, and Brady is just being weak and self-centered. Hate to tell each of those “leaders” neither is flame resistant.
- Deadbeat Conservative - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:48 am:
=control spending with your executive authority= - Rauner certainly failed so far. A few suggestions for success:
- Stop creation of high-dollar positions with no job duties. (See Munger, Purvis, etc.)
- Forego multi-million dollar funds raids for pinstripe patronage contracts. (See Deloitte, DHS contracts.)
- Stop moving state jobs to Chicago with higher salary requirements.
- Don’t enter into vendor contracts that you don’t intend to pay.
- Follow spirit and letter of procurement code, rethink bringing Cellini back into the state real estate business.
- Honestly evaluate state Boards and Commissions, staff them or eliminate them.
- Stop rooting for bankruptcy of the 5 largest state in the US - it’s un-American - as Rich would say.
All of the above could be done without the malice and hostility Governor Rauner has expressed toward Illinois. They would also put him on track for keeping a few of his campaign promises of 2014.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:56 am:
Durkie should realize that he cannot B*S* his members about continued negotiations…..Gov. “Happy” Junk wrecked that line with his actions in the Senate. Now he afraid to even go to a meetin’
- so... - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 9:57 am:
==Yesterday, Rep. Bryant was quoted as saying extreme far-right elements are acting to burn the state down.
When a conservative Republican lawmaker from Southern Illinois says that, we should all pay attention. ==
Bryant ain’t conservative.
- μολὼν λαβέ - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:00 am:
=“We have to do something,” Cullerton said. “The House has acted but we’d prefer to do it in agreement with Republicans.”=
The first step to that is to tell Madigan to shut his mouth, and stay away from the cameras. If I were a rep, I would be more than happy to show Madigan where to stick this travesty of a ‘budget’ which is nothing but more of the same.
- Perrid - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:01 am:
The clock had struck midnight. They needed to pass something, so Madigan “abandoning the negotiation process” was appropriate. They obviously had enough votes, and whatever problems this budget has it is better than the automatic spending that we have had for the last 2 years. When Republicans whine and complain about the Democrats not negotiating, what they mean is not capitulating.
- illini - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:16 am:
— Bryant ain’t conservative. —
Many of is would beg to differ. What do you base your assessment on?
- Pepper - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:16 am:
How does this FY18 proposed IL budget amount, $36B or $36.5B compare to the past 10 year’s budgets? Is it less or is spending still increasing?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:18 am:
Pepper, it’s less. Try Google.
- JLR - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:40 am:
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to dump or get off the pot.
The Illinois voters are watching and every member up for election will go.
- Chicago Cynicso - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:44 am:
So let me get this straight. The GOP is whining because the Dems moved forward on a deal to avert Junk status without continuing pointless talks with leaders determined to stall them out? Umm, yea. Maybe if they had any intention of moving forward on a bipartisan deal, they’d have more credibility. But Durkin is clearly singin’ from Rauner’s hymnal so spare me.
- Chicago Cyni - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:48 am:
“Pepper, it’s less. Try Google.”
Rich, I am so sick of my GOP friends who insist this budget has no cuts in it. I show them numbers but they don’t want to let the facts get in the way of their partisan narratives. It’s infuriating.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 10:56 am:
The “Brave 15″ is what Durkin is probably more upset about than the votes happening at all.
The ones who deserve our praises are the “Brave 15″ that just couldn’t stay silent any longer.
That’s Durkin’s beef(?)
- Generic Drone - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:03 am:
Deadbeat conservitive. You forgot, stop leasing warehouses at 4 times the amount of purchase price.
- Langhorne - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:14 am:
I have said from the gitgo it would take a rank and file uprising to get things moving. They have to save the state from more, possibly fatal, damage by rauner.
- Flapdoodle - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:21 am:
ILPundit’s comment hits the bullseye. It isn’t over yet by a long shot (Senate just finished voting), but here’s a possible upcoming headline: “Durkin runs mouth, Madigan runs the table.”
- Pot calling kettle - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:36 am:
If Rauner is serious about balancing the budget with no tax increases, he has a pen and three bills on his desk…go to it! He can veto the whole revenue bill (because we don’t need it). He can then go through the spending bill (and the BIMP) line-by-line and enact his plan.
I assume that today’s Tribune editorial and the IPI flacks will point this out. Have at it, Governor, this is your chance to shine.
Finally, we will all have a chance to see the Governor’s (until now) secret plan.
(If he is having difficulty identifying cuts, it is my understanding that Rep. Ives and Rep. Wherli have this all figured out as well.)
- Norseman - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:39 am:
To the GOP leaders I have 2 words: grand bargain. You pulled the plug and now look weak. That’s on you.
- illini - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 11:51 am:
=== “Finally, we will all have a chance to see the Governor’s (until now) secret plan.
(If he is having difficulty identifying cuts, it is my understanding that Rep. Ives and Rep. Wherli have this all figured out as well.) ===
Excellent -
- WeNeedaBudgetNow - Tuesday, Jul 4, 17 @ 12:42 pm:
The governor will never make the huge cuts to the budget that will be needed without any revenue increase. He never shows his work.