* The House Republicans have been privately and publicly grumbling for days about being shut out of talks…
House Republican Deputy Minority Leader Tom Demmer released the following statement on the status of end of session negotiations:
“Our caucus is the only caucus that has been clear about our priorities for weeks. We asked for a balanced budget that addresses our unpaid bills and pension liability, and we advocated for meaningful pro-jobs reforms that our state so desperately needs. Earlier this week, there was an agreement on a path forward to address all of the issues before us. Unfortunately, Democrats withheld information, added additional taxes and rejected any attempts to grow our economy. With less than 12 hours to go, the Democrats are expecting the General Assembly to pass seven never-before-seen bills that spend more than $80 billion dollars. Illinois taxpayers deserve better.”
I’ve asked the other three caucuses for a response.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:14 pm:
–With less than 12 hours to go, the Democrats are expecting the General Assembly to pass seven never-before-seen bills that spend more than $80 billion dollars. –
If they’ve never been seen before, how does Demmer know what is or is not in them?
- wordslinger - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:16 pm:
–“Our caucus is the only caucus that has been clear about our priorities for weeks. –
Rah, rah, rah. Go team, go. Fight team, fight. Yeah, team.
- Concerned Dem - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:17 pm:
Translation:
Do it our way or we’ll throw a fit…
Wait… why did they just put us in timeout?
- Chicagonk - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:23 pm:
If the Republicans do not like the budget, they don’t have to vote for it. At some point Republicans are going to have to focus on building an infrastructure and ideas for 2020.
- Former State Worker - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:24 pm:
The tears are delicious.
- Jvslp - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:26 pm:
I’m sorry…but on what planet are repubs ever happy with a dem driven budget…especially in Illinois?
- Joe M - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:27 pm:
==Demmer unhappy with budget==
Was he happier with Rauner when there was no budget?
- Huh? - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:28 pm:
Thank you for your comments. Please go down the hall to find someone who might care about what you think.
- Michelle Flaherty - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:29 pm:
– never-before-seen bills that spend more than $80 billion dollars –
If he’s never seen them before, how has he had time to rack up the spending?
- 62656 - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:33 pm:
The $80 billion surely includes funds received from the federal government. What I would want to know is what impact will it have on the bill backlog? If it would make the backlog greater, it would help Demmer’s case to have stated how much.
“Unfortunately, Democrats withheld information, added additional taxes and rejected any attempts to grow our economy.” The last 2, especially the last one, sound like ordinary partisanship, the first one makes me want to know detail about what was withheld.
- Brendan - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:34 pm:
Worlds smallest violin.
- Perrid - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:41 pm:
The $80 billion is how much is appropriated, right? Not how much is actually going to be spent? Because even with federal aid added in I don’t know see how we get that high. I could be wrong, I am hardly an accounting guru
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:43 pm:
If they don’t like it, put the conservative party language back in SB 1863
- RNUG - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:47 pm:
Let me spell irrelevant for you …
- New Slang - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:50 pm:
*tap tap* “Ahemmmm, is this thing on?”
- anon2 - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:54 pm:
Being in the super-minority isn’t fun.
- Demoralized - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 1:58 pm:
Shocked, I say, shocked that they didn’t get what they wanted.
Aren’t these the same people who claimed we could balance the budget with no new taxes? Those same math geniuses?
- Oswego Willy - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:04 pm:
When it mattered most…
Mr. Demmer chose Bruce Rauner over Illinois and his district.
He will never be Rep. Andersson.
It’s things like this, it highlights how much Mr. Demmer lacks.
- 360 Degree TurnAround - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:04 pm:
Maybe they should try harder in November in even numbered years.
- Demoralized - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:05 pm:
Did the Rep just fall off of a turnip truck? This is the way budgets are generally passed. On the last day. He really needs to brush up on the legislative process.
- lakeside - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:06 pm:
Dunno, man, feel like we tried it your way and a bunch of our social services closed and we ran up the backlog like crazy.
- Demoralized - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 2:08 pm:
==and rejected any attempts to grow our economy==
We dealt with this rhetoric for 4 years. And then we dealt with it in an election. And yet here we are listening to the same song and dance. We know what your “attempts” look like.
- Dudley Magoo - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:23 pm:
Word on the street is that Durkin reduced his ask to three items. These items were worked out with Madigan. The governor himself rejected these three items.
- Liandro - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:24 pm:
“…how does Demmer know what is or is not in them?”
Based on his statement, he doesn’t. That’s the issue.
- Demoralized - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:34 pm:
==Based on his statement, he doesn’t. That’s the issue.==
I don’t think they need to play Mother May I with him. If he wants to be relevant then he probably should have been more constructive in the process.
- Bourbon Street - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:37 pm:
“We advocated for meaningful pro-job reforms”
“We advocated for union-busting reforms and right to work zones”
There, fixed it for you.
- wordslinger - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:41 pm:
–“…how does Demmer know what is or is not in them?”
Based on his statement, he doesn’t. That’s the issue.–
Based on his statement, he does. But says he doesn’t.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 3:46 pm:
I suppose it’s tough to be taken seriously when a significant portion of your caucus is vying to create it’s own state that would instantly have the worst metrics of any state.
- Annon3 - Friday, May 31, 19 @ 10:17 pm:
OW well said