* We have Speaker Madigan’s reaction to today’s leaders meeting…

Madigan: Comprehensive, Full-Year Budgets Achievable When Governor Drops Attacks on Middle Class

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker of the Illinois House Michael Madigan on Tuesday issued the following statement after Governor Rauner again insisted on passing his personal agenda before further discussions on a comprehensive state budget could take place:

“Progress has been made on budget items with Governor Rauner over the past year when he sets aside his non-budget agenda that attempts to lower the wages and standard of living of middle-class families.

“Illinois is in its 11th month without a state budget, and Governor Rauner’s refusal to make the budget his top priority has led to dreadful consequences for the elderly who rely on in-home care, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, college students and universities, disabled persons, and providers of critical medical care.

“Since March 2015, the governor has worked with the Legislature to pass six budget measures. Not one of these measures was dependent on passage of his agenda that hurts middle-class families. Clearly, progress on the state budget is made when the governor sets aside his agenda that attacks the middle class.

“The governor’s continued insistence on passage of his agenda that hurts the middle class is a clear indication he is not interested in passing and implementing comprehensive, full-year budgets that do not decimate needed services relied upon by the people of Illinois.”

*** UPDATE 1 ***  From someone who was in the meeting today…

Perhaps this was drafted prior to the meeting and released without consultation with the speaker or his chief of staff. Not sure who to believe: the Mike Madigan in the room today or the Mike Madigan in this press release.

Interesting.

*** UPDATE 2 *** As I told you earlier, the governor’s main thrust today was to convince Speaker Madigan to allow the non-budget working groups to move forward on a more formal basis. And Madigan did just that, which makes his above statement even more odd…

Speaker left meeting w/o comment, but spox says:
1) House to take up full MAP $
2) MM will appoint Reps to Gov's non budget working group

— Amanda Vinicky (@AmandaVinicky) May 17, 2016

*** UPDATE 3 *** Hmm…

Republicans emerge from leaders meeting, say Speaker Madigan agreed to negotiate on property tax freeze, pension reform and workers comp.

— Monique Garcia (@moniquegarcia) May 17, 2016

And collective bargaining…

4 Leaders meeting end w Dem leaders ok discussing collective bargaining, pension and work comp changes; Hope they're not stalling

— ILSenateGOP (@ILSenateGOP) May 17, 2016

*** UPDATE 4 *** I just talked to Steve Brown, who said, “We made the appointments because the governor requested it.”

Madigan, Brown said, “continues to believe that entangling the buget with his personal agenda is proven not to be an effective way to make budgets.”

* Brown also said that Madigan’s appointees will have a specific role at the negotiations. “On most of those topics, people will be able to go to those meetings and explain what the House has already done on those topics in the past year and a half.”

So, it’s most definitely “Nyet.”