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*** UPDATED x1 *** Leaders’ meeting updates

Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

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* 4:44 pm - Just after 4:30 this afternoon, the two Republican legislative leaders talked briefly to reporters about the education funding reform negotiations before walking into Speaker Madigan’s office.

After Friday’s curious comments from Gov. Bruce Rauner about how the Democrats had inserted “bad things” into the proposal, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin assured the media that the governor “is 100 percent behind it.” Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady chimed in by saying “The governor will sign this.”

Leader Durkin also acknowledged that there was some pushback within his caucus, but said it wasn’t any different than any other major issue he’s ever worked on.

When asked “And you’re not concerned that it’s falling apart?” Leader Brady said “Not at all.”

*** UPDATE *** Notes from when Leaders Brady and Durkin emerged from the meeting around 6:50…

Brady: We just left another successful meeting… We made some great progress on some outstanding issues, mostly technical nature. We still have a deal that we hope to present to the House tomorrow… Another meeting tomorrow morning.

Durkin: It’s a 500-page document. Goal was to tie up loose ends. We’re down to the minutiae.

Q: And you’re confident you have the votes to pass it?

Durkin: I can’t speak for Mr. Madigan, but our caucus is prepared to take the votes.

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SDems: Special session will avoid triggering veto clock

Sunday, Aug 27, 2017 - Posted by Rich Miller

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* Forwarded by the House Democrats…

Sent on behalf of the Clerk of the House

Members of the 100th General Assembly:

The President and Speaker have declared an emergency exists which requires immediate action by the General Assembly. Pursuant to Article IV, Section 5(b) of the Illinois Constitution, and in conformity with the Special Session Act, an emergency Special Session of the 100th General Assembly shall convene at 11:00 a.m. on August 28, 2017, at the State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois.

The purpose of the Special Session shall be to consider legislation and legislative actions that would establish, by law, an evidenced-based funding formula to provide State funding to school districts.

* The governor has vetoed several pieces of legislation, so there was a lot of speculation that coming back to deal with school funding reform would trigger the 15-calendar-day clock for dealing with overrides…

A side effect of the legislature constantly coming back into session to fix things that should have been fixed long ago is what’s going to happen during the veto session.

With the rules governing how vetoes and amendatory vetoes must be handled in the legislature, it’s possible that first one chamber and then the other will be forced back to Springfield over the coming weeks to deal with vetoed bills. Depending on how things played out, they could seesaw back and forth for a while. Basically, they could mostly be done with the vetoes before we hit the time of the traditional veto session.

Interestingly, there is nothing on the General Assembly’s schedule for a fall session at this time.

But I asked Senate President Cullerton’s spokesman today if the emergency special session would avoid triggering the veto clock. “Yes,” was his reply.

* Meanwhile, the four tops are scheduled to meet again today at 4:30 in Springfield. I’ll let you know what happens.

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