Posted by Barton Lorimor

* 7:13 p.m. - A motion filed moments ago in St. Clair County Circuit Court by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan requests the dissolution of previous orders allowing payment of regular wages to state employees despite the absent appropriation authority.

Expect updates to come soon including the motion.

…Adding…For those who need a little background: Normally, state agencies send payroll vouchers to the Comptroller citing specific budget lines (appropriations). But when the state started fiscal year 2016 without a budget, the agencies could not send their payroll to the Comptroller. AFSCME filed suit in St. Clair County Court, which ordered state employees be paid even though there were not budget lines for it.

Meanwhile, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled in a lawsuit brought by AFSCME the state did not have to pay raises outlined in the last enacted bargaining agreement because the Legislature did not give state agencies the appropriation authority.

The AG is essentially bringing the higher court’s ruling into the St. Clair Court’s order.

* 7:21 p.m. - From the AG…

This is our filing broken into two documents. The motion is the second attachment.

* 7:28 p.m. - Attorney General Madigan’s statement…

“Like everyone else in this state, I have long hoped that the Legislature and the Governor would pass and enact a budget. Unfortunately, that has not occurred and an order by the St. Clair County Court has removed much of the urgency for the Legislature and the Governor to act on a budget. However, during this long impasse, the Illinois Supreme Court overruled the sole legal basis for the St. Clair County Court’s order to allow state operations to continue without an appropriation. With a new legislative session now underway, this is an appropriate time to ask the Circuit Court to reconsider this order in light of the changes in the law.”

* 8:42 p.m. - I asked the Attorney General’s Office to elaborate on the timing of this motion. Here’s the response…

It has always been our goal to allow the executive and legislative branches to do their job without further litigation. While the stopgap budget was in place, it was our hope that the Governor and Legislature would continue to work to enact a full fiscal year budget. The Legislature and the Governor now face the need to enact a budget for the rest of the fiscal year. With the legislature in session, this is an appropriate time to address the need to pass a full budget to cover all operations.

* 7:32 p.m. - From Anders Lindall, spokesman for AFSCME Council 31…

We learned of this filing barely an hour ago. We are reviewing the motion and will respond in court.

Despite all the chaos in state government in the past two years, the people of Illinois have been able to count on state employees being on the job to serve them. The last thing Illinois needs is the further instability that blocking state payroll could cause.

Governor Rauner created this hostage situation by refusing to enact a fully funded budget unless his unrelated personal demands were enacted first. He should put aside those demands and do his job to work toward a budget without preconditions. Even so, we are shocked and extremely disappointed that the Attorney General would take this action. It is fundamental that everyone who works must be paid on time and in full, but this filing throws that basic commitment into question for state employees.

* 7:49 p.m. - From the Comptroller…

“Had Governor Rauner met his constitutional duty to propose a balanced budget in 2015 or 2016, we would not be facing a scenario where the livelihoods of our frontline employees could be threatened in this way.”

“Due to Governor Rauner’s abdication of his constitutional executive duties, our state finances continue to be managed almost wholly by court orders and judge edicts. It’s shameful that under his administration, the fifth largest state in the country is forced to operate like a bankrupt business.”

“We do not welcome the prospect of state employees going unpaid. I, like my fellow lawmakers, have been going without a paycheck. The last thing I want is for state employees to join me. I can tell you first-hand how hard I see my employees work. They do not deserve to be used as pawns in a manufactured budget impasse.”

“That said, I will abide by all court rulings as Attorney General Madigan pursues this court action.”

* 8:10 p.m. - From the Illinois Republican Party…

Illinois Republican Party Statement on Madigan Political Court Filing:

“While serious bipartisan negotiations have accelerated in the Senate, it is outrageous that Lisa Madigan tonight decided to put Speaker Madigan’s power politics ahead of hard-working families in an effort to shut down state government. Only a Madigan would try to disrupt bipartisan momentum in a matter that threatens to cripple government services and hurt state workers and their families. Comptroller Mendoza and every Democrat in the state who claims to be independent of the Madigan machine should immediately denounce these tactics and stand on the side of state employees and those who depend on them.”

* 8:25 p.m. - From Catherine Kelly, Gov. Rauner’s spokesperson…

“It’s disappointing to see any move to stop employee pay and disrupt government services, especially now as the Senate is on the verge of a bipartisan agreement to enact a balanced budget with changes to the system. This filing seeks to directly harm thousands of employee families and even more who rely on our dedicated state workers everyday. We urge the Attorney General to reconsider this filing and pledge to do all we can to defend employee pay.”

* 8:53 p.m. - Leader Radogno…

“The legislature has been involved in very public, delicate negotiations. The timing of this action could create an unnecessary crisis that could derail real compromise.”

* 9:26 p.m. - [Posted by Rich Miller, who is back from a speaking engagement in Decatur) Senate President Cullerton’s spokesman in the Sun-Times…

“The Senate president has said that there is an urgent need to have a budget and this would appear to add to that sense of urgency,” spokesman John Patterson said.

* 9:39 p.m. - State Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond)…

“The recent court filing from Attorney General Lisa Madigan can only be described as putting politics over people. This politically-motivated action is the same kind of Chicago-style politics that the Madigans too often employ. At a meeting I attended just this morning, a comment was made that, ‘as soon as deals in Illinois are close to done, someone always tries to blow it up.’ While the Senate has been negotiating and making progress towards a bipartisan budget deal, Madigan chose to instead disrupt state employee pay in an attempt to force a shutdown of state government, crippling vital government services and endangering families who rely on them. Attorney General Lisa Madigan should immediately denounce these hardball political tactics and stand with state employees and those who rely on state services.”

* 9:46 p.m. - House GOP Leader Jim Durkin…

The timing of the Attorney General’s action is questionable in light of the current attempts to resolve the budget impasse. This decision clearly undermines the legislature’s duty to negotiate a bipartisan solution