* Greg Hinz…
A day after Gov. Bruce Rauner called on Springfield to come together, the same old Capitol infighting resumed, as Democrats ran a bill to restore some funding to state colleges and student scholarships, and the GOP governor promptly promised to veto it. […]
The Republican version would have appropriated $1.6 billion. The figure is higher because money would have been restored not only to community colleges, but also to state universities, such as the University of Illinois, Northern Illinois University and Southern Illinois University. Those institutions tend to be located in downstate areas often represented by Republicans.
The GOP version also included a controversial funding mechanism: It would have given Rauner extensive and unilateral authority to move money from one portion of the state budget to another, something Republicans say is fiscally responsible but Democrats argue he cannot be trusted to do.
“He’s just like (ex-Gov.) Rod Blagojevich: He wants all the power,” said Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan, suggesting that Rauner would use such power to “go after” working-class families and others.
Speaker Madigan repeated his pledge Wednesday to “work cooperatively” with Gov. Rauner. Apparently, that pledge doesn’t include comparing Rauner to an imprisoned former governor.
Oy.
