* Cullerton…
* From Speaker Madigan…
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Thursday, following a meeting between legislative leaders and the governor:
“Today I advised the governor and the other leaders that we are already at work on the Fiscal Year 2019 budget with our colleagues across the aisle, just as we did a year ago when Republicans and Democrats stood together to end the Rauner budget crisis. If the governor is finally ready to accept responsibility for the management of the state and be an honest partner in trying to pass a budget, we welcome him to this process.
“In the past, Governor Rauner has resorted to severe cuts targeting women, children and the elderly. Democrats cannot accept this. If the governor’s agenda is to push more of his extreme cuts to health care, senior services, and resources for our most at-risk residents, or if he intends to again move the goalposts and create chaos, he should stay on the sidelines and allow serious leaders to continue working cooperatively to address the challenges facing our state.”
…Adding… The governor sent a letter to the leaders today asking them to appoint “budgeteers” so negotiations can begin. Click here.
…Adding… Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady said the “progress” today was two-fold: 1) The Democrats agreed to appoint budgeteers; 2) The Dems agree to certify a revenue estimate.
They coulda got that done by pony express.
…Adding… Raw audio of Cullerton’s media availability is here.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:43 am:
===“…if he intends to again move the goalposts and create chaos, he should stay on the sidelines and allow serious leaders to continue working cooperatively to address the challenges facing our state.”===
Madigan making clear;
Either be an honest broker, or let us save Illinois.
No other options.
- Not a Billionaire - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:43 am:
WIU will have strike authorization vote next week. Plenty of chaos left.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:45 am:
–The governor sent a letter to the leaders today asking them to appoint “budgeteers”…–
“Bill, Jim, be sure to appoint someone you won’t mind me stabbin’ in the back when the time comes. You know how much I like that.”
With Rauner, there’s more dignity in being a GOP mousketeer than a budgeteer.
- Real - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:46 am:
The tides are turning for Donald Trumps favorite Governor. They are treating him as a lame duck.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:50 am:
Shorter Madigan comment to Rauner: lead, follow or get out of the way.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:50 am:
===President Cullerton said Rauner wants to spend money from the tax hike he vetoed.===
Here’s the rub, and Cullerton (and Patterson in his Shop) knows…
Rauner signs a budget that balances his signed budget… that undercuts the Rauner campaign, actually shreds everything in the campaign.
Rauner wants… a veto-proof budget… with Rauner’s asks, including the spending of the tax increase monies… so Rauner can then veto it… but still have a budget “done”, … “vetoed”… but no crisis of funding in his own agencies… funded again without a Rauner signature.
Good on Cullerton for calling this out, but Rauner isn’t signing any budget using that tax increase.
That’s Rauner, again being disingenuous, but needing Cullerton and Madigan to bail him out WITH a budget to run against, but a budget, none the less, to stop chaos during the election.
- Michelle Flaherty - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:51 am:
Rauner and the GOP agreeing to the revenue number means they are embracing the tax increase money and spending it.
I’m sure they’ll stop talking about lower taxes now that they are working on spending the tax increase dollars. Right?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:52 am:
- Real -
You’re as phony as Rauner.
===“Bill, Jim, be sure to appoint someone you won’t mind me stabbin’ in the back when the time comes. You know how much I like that.”===
Leader Radogno could speak to this truth… but…
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:53 am:
Awwww . . . It’s so cute when the Guv tries to act like he is in charge.
Should there be an apostrophe after Leaders? (”Leaders’ Meeting”)
- Honeybadger - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:54 am:
https://youtu.be/RfprRZQxWps
The 4 Leaders are the Timmy character and George is Rauner
- Rabid - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 10:57 am:
Rauner sends his playground note, or ransom demands
- Smitty Irving - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:14 am:
WHAT is all this blather about a revenue estimate? Just as the GA’s constitutionally mandated duties related to audits are performed by the Legislative Audit Commission, revenue estimation is done by COGFA - a revenue estimate was made in February. This comes across as an IPI “gotcha” tactic.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:19 am:
The governor needs to sign a budget, in my view, to even have a shot at reelection. The legislature is a coequal branch of government, and he would be wise to treat them as such. I guess this guy hasn’t learned a thing.
- VanillaMan - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:21 am:
Rauner is going through the motions waiting for Democrats to make a mistake. He is a lame duck until they either screw up or he finds an opening.
- G'Kar - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:44 am:
Maybe they all should have met at Obed & Issac’s /s
- DBC - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:57 am:
Madigan misses another opportunity to talk about a responsible budget that lowers costs by paying bills in timely fashion.
- downstate commissioner - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 1:28 pm:
Most people are tired of hearing “Because Madigan.” Please quit applying it to everything…
- DBC - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 11:57 am:
Madigan misses another opportunity to talk about a responsible budget that lowers costs by paying bills in timely fashion.
- Jocko - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 2:47 pm:
I take it the team-building activities didn’t go so well. Who had Bruce in the trust fall?
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 4:45 pm:
(25 ILCS 155/4) (from Ch. 63, par. 344)
Sec. 4. (a) The Commission shall publish, at the convening of each regular session of the General Assembly, a report on the estimated income of the State from all applicable revenue sources for the next ensuing fiscal year and of any other funds estimated to be available for such fiscal year. The Commission, in its discretion, may consult with the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in preparing the report. On the third Wednesday in March after the session convenes, the Commission shall issue a revised and updated set of revenue figures reflecting the latest available information. The House and Senate by joint resolution shall adopt or modify such estimates as may be appropriate. The joint resolution shall constitute the General Assembly’s estimate, under paragraph (b) of Section 2 of Article VIII of the Constitution, of the funds estimated to be available during the next fiscal year.
- Smitty Irving - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 7:21 pm:
Anonymous 4:45 P.M.-
PLEASE provide a link to the last time this was done. AND any such votes when Pate Philip ran the Senate. Not holding my breath.
- Smitty Irving - Thursday, Apr 12, 18 @ 7:24 pm:
Anonymous 4:45-
WHAT is the link to the COGFA third Wednesday in March forecast?