* What Leader Durkin doesn’t mention here is that Pritzker probably doesn’t want a 6-month budget either…
Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said it would be a mistake for Democrats to try to advance a six-month state budget in hopes that J.B. Pritzker will win the governor’s race over Rauner. […]
“The speaker does not have to go down and spend a month of gotcha votes. He’s got an arsenal of those ahead of him. So my plea to him, or request to him, is that let’s spend the next six, seven weeks on putting together a full-year budget,” he said.
Durkin said a half-year budget leading up to the seating of the governor in January is a “very dangerous, dangerous attitude to take” that would create uncertainty involving social service agencies, universities and grade and high school education.
The Democrats, including top budget negotiator Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), have been saying for months that a six-month budget is not in the works. The only people talking about it are Republicans who are close to Gov. Rauner. But even Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), who publicly expressed “worry” about a six-month budget back in January, is now saying he doesn’t think it’ll happen this year…
For his part, Butler said he doesn’t think even the Democrats want to pass a partial budget, even if they believe J.B. Pritzker will get elected governor.
“I think from their perspective, at least what I hear, is they don’t want to have a governor come in and have to deal with that right off the bat,” Butler said.
* So, of course, Gov. Rauner stated his opposition to a six-month budget today…
Just sayin’, but the governor and the Republican leaders don’t exactly have a great track record on this whole budget negotiating topic. All three got rolled last year by a bipartisan legislative revolt.
* Speaking of gotcha votes, here’s Finke…
We’ll have to see how much mischief the majority Democrats want to play as the session drones toward its scheduled end. Like repeating that performance in the House with property tax relief, a series of votes on bills that Republicans labeled as bogus and nothing more than show. The idea was to get Republican lawmakers on the record with votes that could be used against them in campaigns.
* And it wasn’t just Democrats who used and will use those votes…
Ives said a different Rauner mailing distorted her vote on a property tax freeze that was contained in a bill put forward by Rauner’s nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“I’m the only one who had the courage to call the scam what it was and vote no,” Ives said.
- Ron - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:53 am:
Illinois hasn’t had a real budget in decades. Why start now?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:54 am:
The most exciting thing I saw today was Gov. Rauner.
He was wearing a tie.
I know, right, a tie.
Rauner must think he needs to stop looking like a cartoon buffoon and might need to look like he can BE a real life governor, lol
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 10:59 am:
To the Post,
The politics to the governing is quite “simple”
Get 71 and 36 in a bipartisan budget deal with lame duck Republicans, icing out Raunerites.
Let Rauner veto. Override.
A bipartisan legislature saved Illinois from Rauner age hus Raunerites before, save Illinois now. If you trust Rauner after three years of his negotiations, that’s on “you”, not me.
Rauner has yet to sign a full fiscal year budget. Rauner is purposely destroying Illinois as he waits for the Janus ruling, RTW Zones, and the opportunity to go after AFSCME… again.
Save Illinois.
71 and 36.
Enough IS enough.
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:04 am:
OW when is the last time you saw JB in a tie?
He wears a zipper sweatshirt or a vest most of the time. Is that ok with you?
Why would anyone including Senate Democrats trust Speaker Madigan in budget negotiations, given his my way or the highway approach to governing?
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:13 am:
===when is the last time you saw JB in a tie?===
You want to compare Pritzker and Rauner with ties?
For the love of Pete, Pritzker has worn more ties this last year than Rauner has worn as governor these past 3 years, lol
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:15 am:
===Why would anyone including Senate Democrats trust Speaker Madigan in budget negotiations, given his my way or the highway approach to governing?===
Ask Leader Radogno.
Questions?
- Demoralized - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:20 am:
==trust Speaker Madigan in budget negotiations==
==Ask Leader Radogno.==
Mic drop
==given his my way or the highway approach to governing==
You still refuse to recognize the Governor has acted the exact same way. But why be honest?
- Jocko - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:20 am:
Last I checked, Bruce’s February budget relies on a pension cost-shift, dropping health insurance for state employees, and selling the Thompson Center.
Where are Durkin and Brady at with regard to their proposals?
- Demoralized - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:22 am:
I can’t imagine that a 6 month budget was ever in the Democrats plan. The only way they would go down that road was if they believed the Governor had a chance at winning, and I don’t think they beleive that. There’s no way they would want to saddle JB with a budget deadline crisis right out of the gate.
And I find it odd that the Governor seems to indicate he’s be ok with a budget as long as it didn’t raise taxes when he’s campaigned on cutting the tax rate. Is he already capitulating before he’s even gotten started?
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:23 am:
–Just sayin’, but the governor and the Republican leaders don’t exactly have a great track record on this whole budget negotiating topic.–
I think the idea is to make it look like he takes his job responsibilities seriously in an election year.
It can work for a while, as long as he keeps the training wheels on and doesn’t try to talk off-script.
- VanillaMan - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:35 am:
So, he’s saying that he couldn’t govern, can’t govern, but if reelected, won’t govern?
- Earnest - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:40 am:
>that would create uncertainty involving social service agencies, universities and grade and high school education.
No, we wouldn’t want that , would we? At least, not this year. /s
- Roman - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:44 am:
Six month budget make little sense for the Dems. Why stick J.B. with that headache?
It’salmost like the Raunerites want to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy—- “if we say we’re aganist it, they’ll be for it.”
- Arsenal - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:49 am:
==when is the last time you saw JB in a tie?==
Saturday. It’s on his and Mendoza’s Twitter feeds.
- 100 miles west - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 11:52 am:
The six month budget makes no sense, but for many programs it doesn’t really matter anymore. Much of the budget, including state employee salaries, was on autopilot as directed by the courts. There needs to be a good hard look at how to undo the damage done to the budget process by years of neglect by the executive, and the legislative branch.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:12 pm:
In a hush-hush, wink-wink way…
The Repubs working with the Dems could cobble a pretty good deal for the legislative GOP, where Rauner has issues, and get it passed.
That would require serious trust and hoping Rauner doesn’t retaliate, but what ckujd Rauner actually do… he needs Raunerite buttons at his disposal.
- JS Mill - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:16 pm:
=Illinois hasn’t had a real budget in decades. Why start now?=
Ever the victim right?
To the post-
When will the governor propose a budget is they can begin bargaining? That would be the first step.
- Ron - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:23 pm:
“Last I checked, Bruce’s February budget relies on a pension cost-shift”
That’s what we need to do and allow municipal BK.
- Huh? - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:23 pm:
It is obvious that the democrats are planning a 6 month budget because the republicans say so. Tell a lie enough it begins to would like the truth.
- Ron - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
JS Mill, what does that even mean? I am one of 12,000,000 Illinois residents. None of us has experienced a real budget in decades.
- wordslinger - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:27 pm:
–I am one of 12,000,000 Illinois residents.–
12.8M, comrade. Old textbooks on the Island of Misfit Bots, I take it.
- Ron - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:29 pm:
And shrinking.
- Annonin' - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:38 pm:
Very sad to see GrampeeGovJunk givin’ up on Quincy Vets Homw and remap. Now tune in NoTaxBill at City Club for some yukes.
- Anonymous - Monday, Apr 9, 18 @ 12:38 pm:
I remember the first and last time the legislature took Rauner at his word: when he asked them to let Quinn’s temporary tax increase expire before he officially took office, so that he could engage them in a bipartisan negotiation from a “clean sheet of paper” that would perhaps adjust the percentage up or down a point or two…
…Leading to two and a half years of a raging dumpster fire that used to be the Illinois budget and economy.
Never again.