* Rep. Ken Dunkin made the Chicago media rounds yesterday. ABC 7…
“I am not a puppet for Mike Madigan, for the governor. I work for the citizens of this district and across the state,” he said. […]
“The facts are people are sick and tired of us down in Springfield who are under the thumb of Mike Madigan,” Dunkin said. […]
“We should be celebrating the fact that children can now go back to daycare,” Dunkin said. […]
“What’s wrong with negotiating with each other whether you’re Republican or Democrat? It makes no difference. People want to see functionable government,” Dunkin said.
Dunkin says he’s not the only democratic lawmaker who wants an end to partisan politics. The others, he says, are afraid to speak out - intimidated by party leadership.
Dunkin described a nearly two-hour caucus prior to the session as “intense” and “the most animated and raucous caucus in quite some time.”
Dunkin said he told House Democrats to trust Rauner and his agreement to restore funding. […]
“I don’t have a dispute with the speaker. I don’t have a problem with the speaker. I just don’t work for him,” Dunkin said. […]
“I am strongly against trying to dismantle the unions. People should have a right to unionize,” Dunkin said, adding he would have voted for the no strike bill if he had been in town. […]
“I think I am coming to terms with [Gov. Bruce Rauner] being able to listen to reason. He’s tenacious. I’m tenacious. I’m insistent. I’m passionate about doing what I need to do for our citizen in the state,” Dunkin said. “We have to, all of us, come up with a relationship, at least a professional relationship to get something done.”
Dunkin stopped by the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday to explain why most reasonable would be the proper interpretation of his decision to be the only member of his party not to oppose Gov. Bruce Rauner on two key votes in Springfield this week.
But not before he fretted over whether he should change his fashionable paisley tie for our videographer. […]
Restoring the child care subsidies immediately was more important than “teaching the governor a lesson,” said Dunkin, arguing the bills should never have been called to a vote by House Speaker Mike Madigan. […]
“What is that [Madigan] has offered up or is willing to compromise immediately with this governor?” Dunkin said.
“Part of the compromise that politicians do is we make deals to move forward,” Dunkin said in an interview Wednesday with the Chicago Tribune. “What was successful about this here, by not embarrassing him or really being provocative or being sort of vindictive towards him, was he immediately did an about-face.” […]
“There was no need for the bill to be run, other than to be vindictive towards (Rauner),” Dunkin said. “We reached an agreement where he would restore the program to some semblance of what it was before July 1. And he did that, and the sponsors agreed to it. So how is that a loss?” […]
“I’m down there to not be some robotic Democrat,” Dunkin said. “I’m down there to be a person to work with Republicans, to work with Democrats.” […]
“They should be talking, and that’s part of the problem. That’s the real issue here,” Dunkin said. “Leaders are not talking with each other. They haven’t talked since May, as I understand it. That’s insane. And so they want to vilify me, for what?”
“It was a tremendous win. Keep in mind: The governor required a family of two to make $650 a month. Now they can make up to $2,400 a month. He restored the eligibility up to about 85 percent, compared to where it was over the last four months, of nothing, pretty much. So now we’re looking at about 100,000 kids able to go to a safe and qualified child care provider. Providers are happy, and parents are happy.” […]
“It was a tremendous win. Keep in mind: The governor required a family of two to make $650 a month. Now they can make up to $2,400 a month. He restored the eligibility up to about 85 percent, compared to where it was over the last four months, of nothing, pretty much. So now we’re looking at about 100,000 kids able to go to a safe and qualified child care provider. Providers are happy, and parents are happy.” […]
“I’ve worked with Mike Madigan for quite some time now. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s warm, sometimes it’s cold. But guess what? I’m not down there to make sure that Mike Madigan is happy for Ken Dunkin. I’m down there to do a job for the constituents that I took the oath of office for and to serve them well, as well as throughout the state.” […]
“What this compromise proved is that the governor is willing to work with us, and if I can penetrate the governor’s stoic approach towards him reforming government and get him to fund child care at 85 percent–and at 100 percent next year, when we get our act together with a real budget–and to have him do an about-face with the determination of need, that’s a gateway to a successful budget negotiation, pension negotiation, education negotiation. I should be, as members are, ecstatic that this governor is willing to work with us.”
Sneed is told by top GOP sources Dunkin called Republican heavyweights Tuesday seeking assurance the Republicans were united against the bill – and that no one was going to flip — or he’d be up a certain creek.
• The buckshot: It’s called the creek of no return.
