*** UPDATED x3 *** Leaders to meet again
Tuesday, Dec 8, 2015 - Posted by Rich Miller
* As you know by now, the governor signed the mostly non-GRF funding bill yesterday…
Rauner billed the move as a compromise, although it also provided him political cover as some House Republicans were willing to vote for the Democratic plan in the face of pressure from suburban mayors to free up the money. House Democrats ignored the governor’s requests and pressed on with their first plan, but ultimately used a procedural move to prevent the legislation from going to the Senate while the latest deal was worked out.
Monday’s action is likely to be the last major effort to plug budget holes for the remainder of the calendar year, as neither the House or Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol until January.
Key areas that remain unfunded include colleges and universities, scholarship programs for low-income students and various programs for victims of sexual assault and those with developmental disabilities.
* Republicans are blaming Democrats for not funding MAP grants…
Republican Sen. Chapin Rose of Mahomet blamed House Speaker Michael Madigan for the lack of MAP funding.
“The Democrats had a few things that they added into this budget bill today, but apparently library grants rank higher than MAP grants in their opinion. The Speaker patted them on the head and said ‘We’re not going to (fund MAP) but we’re going to fund library grants,’” Rose said. “You’ve got Democratic supermajorities in the House and the Senate, yet Representative (Carol) Ammons was told no last week by the Speaker.
“We already have the answer, and the Speaker said no.”
The MAP funding bill has no HGOP sponsors. Just sayin…
* And the leaders are meeting again today…
Gov. Bruce Rauner has planned another round of talks on state budget with legislative leaders in Chicago.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly says the meeting is Tuesday afternoon at The James R. Thompson Center.
Check back at 3:30 or so and I’ll have a ScribbleLive thingy posted if events warrant it.
*** UPDATE 1 *** The governor took questions before the meeting…
*** UPDATE 2 *** I’m assuming this sums it up pretty well…
*** UPDATE 3 *** More…
