The thinking is that House Speaker Mike Madigan is killing time until newly elected state comptroller Susana Mendoza, a fellow Democrat and Madigan team player, comes on board and stops paying state workers, if she can get that by the courts. This would precipitate such a crisis that Rauner would be forced to abandon his last preconditions for a budget deal — a property tax freeze and legislative term limits. A competing theory says Rauner is prepared to ride this impasse straight into the 2018 elections.
* Gov. Rauner didn’t respond to that last sentence, but told reporters today that the editorial “troubles” him and “has me concerned”…
“What we don’t want is a crisis where the government is shut down. And our state employees are hard working, unlike the legislators… I’d ask Comptroller Mendoza to please stand firm like Comptroller Munger did.”
* So, I reached out to Comptroller-elect Mendoza’s transition team. “She hasn’t talked to the Speaker about this,” I was told by an exasperated staffer, who noted that the CS-T didn’t check in first.
“They’ll look at every court case and get up to speed,” the transition official said. The staff “need some time to understand these things and develop their own legal opinions… You just can’t make decisions like this in the dark.” Until then, all options need to be on the table, I was told.
With that being said, I’m told this is not an option Mendoza wants to pursue.
House Speaker Michael Madigan on Friday released the following statement regarding meetings with Gov. Bruce Rauner about the state budget and other state issues:
“I am available to meet with Governor Rauner this Saturday and Sunday, and I will work to get a budget completed. Representative Greg Harris, who will continue to join me in these meetings, has worked successfully with other legislators to negotiate the details of budgets we’ve passed previously. We believe this previously successful framework should be used to work on a budget that will ensure schools open on time, public safety is maintained and services for seniors and the most vulnerable continue.
“I am requesting from the governor’s office by Sunday a list of topics, so experts from our caucus can attend to facilitate a real conversation on these issues, unlike the superficial discussions held by the governor this week that did not help us get any closer to a full-year budget. Like I privately requested earlier this week, I request that we get into the details of these issues. I hope the governor and all legislative leaders bring with them any expert they deem necessary to have a real discussion on these topics, rather than a repeat of the same dialogue. I would also like to add for consideration the following topics:
· Memorandums of Understanding for future and past funding agreed to by the governor. House Democrats are concerned about the ability to ensure money appropriated from the Legislature will be spent as intended when an agreement is reached with Governor Rauner. For instance, the governor’s Good Friday cuts in April 2015 included severe and draconian cuts to many items previously agreed to by the governor with our caucus. These cuts betrayed the agreement our caucus made with the governor. This behavior has continued with the most recent stopgap budget, in which line items have not been spent per the agreement made by the governor to the leaders. House Democrats want to be assured the governor will spend appropriations based on his agreements when a full budget is passed.
· Governor Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 2822. The governor’s veto of this bipartisan legislation will severely harm the education of nearly 400,000 school children in the Chicago Public Schools, all for the purpose of holding more meetings. In light of Senate President Cullerton’s presentation just the other day on pension reform, it seems that this was simply a punitive move meant to harm the schoolchildren of CPS.
· A full recounting of all taxpayer-funded corporate giveaways handed out to businesses since Governor Rauner took office, and how many new jobs have been created in Illinois by those corporations since Governor Rauner awarded them taxpayer dollars. Also, a list of all state tax incentives given to corporations in instances when those corporations had any interaction with the Public Private Partnership introduced by Governor Rauner.
· A status of contract negotiations with AFSCME state employees following the governor’s declared impasse with workers. As this matter concerns the wages and benefits of employees throughout the state, and the potential shutdown of critical state services, it is therefore a significant budget issue and important we know the facts of the present situation and the governor’s plan moving forward.”
Longtime readers will recall Madigan demanded multiple memorandums of understanding from Rod Blagojevich after Blagojevich broke his word several times.
In other words, the defcon level has been increased.
*** UPDATE *** House GOP Leader Jim Durkin has a measured response…
“I am pleased to see the Speaker engaged in the process and committed to attending meetings. Traditionally, we have been able to reach agreement on tough issues among the four leaders and the governor. That’s why I have asked the governor to limit these meetings to the actual decision makers–the leaders and their key staff.”
Republicans have elected Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) the next chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Walden defeated Reps. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas), the former committee chairman, in the race for the gavel. Current chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) is stepping down from the position due to term limits. […]
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), who aggressively campaigned around the country with Walden this year, spoke in favor of the Oregon lawmaker during Thursday’s Steering meeting, according to sources in the closed-door gathering. […]
During his push for the chairmanship, Shimkus emphasized his experience on all six of the committee’s subpanels. He outranks Walden on the committee and, in a letter to members last month, noted his work passing a major chemical safety overhaul bill this year. […]
But Republicans watching the contest said Walden’s work at the National Republican Congressional Committee — where he helped secure the GOP’s largest majority since the Great Depression, raised millions of dollars for candidates and limited Republican losses in last month’s elections — helped him nail down the chairmanship.
That’s a huge loss for Illinois’ congressional influence.
* From Rachel Cortez, Vice President & Senior Credit Officer at Moody’s Investors Service…
“Yesterday, the Governor of Illinois vetoed a $215 million payment to help cover the pension costs for Chicago Public Schools (rated B3/negative outlook). If the veto holds, CPS’ deficit net cash position could stand at over $1 billion when its fiscal year ends in June 2017. While the funds from a possible veto override would be positive for CPS, there would still be insufficient funding to alleviate the school district’s severe liquidity issues.
“CPS remains dependent on cash flow borrowing and state assistance to sustain its operations, and its reserves are nearly depleted. While CPS can still take steps to address its fiscal situation, its financial position remains weak and could further deteriorate.”
* Meanwhile…
Rauner, on Rahm's claim that he was "reckless"; "my strong recommendation is to tone down th rhetoric," he says
A group of state representatives filed a lawsuit over legislator pay against Illinois state Comptroller Leslie Munger on Friday — Munger’s last day in office.
The suit was filed by Reps. Emmanuel Chris Welch, Kate Cloonen, Mary Flowers, Sonya Harper, Lisa Hernandez and Silvana Tabares.
Legislators haven’t been paid since June. Several legislators have been vocal about their disdain over not getting paid amid the state’s budget impasse — on the Senate and House floors and in private.
More as it comes in.
* Press release…
State Reps. Emanuel Chris Welch, Kate Cloonen, Mary Flowers, Sonya Harper, Lisa Hernandez and Silvana Tabares released the following statement Friday regarding their lawsuit to restore legislators’ pay and end unwarranted political pressure being brought by Gov. Bruce Rauner and Comptroller Leslie Munger:
“The decision by multimillionaire Comptroller Leslie Munger and billionaire Gov. Bruce Rauner was a thinly veiled attempt to force their political opponents into taking positions in support of the governor’s positions and against the beliefs of their constituents,” Welch said. “Many lawmakers don’t have the multimillion dollar side incomes the governor and comptroller enjoy.”
“Our lawsuit is a principled stand for an independent Legislature that cannot be bullied by any governor, Republican or Democratic,” Cloonen said. “The 177 members of the General Assembly are elected to serve the people of our districts, but the comptroller’s and the governor’s actions show they believe we are elected to serve them, and that they can use illegal means to force us to bow to their extreme agenda.”
“Just like when Pat Quinn tried to eliminate lawmakers’ salaries in an attempt to get his way, the governor and comptroller would set a dangerous precedent under which any future governor or comptroller could unilaterally coerce duly elected legislators by tying their salaries to any number of demands that could hurt local residents and their families,” Tabares said. “We urge the courts to recognize the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government, not a subsidiary of a billionaire governor.”
The Illinois Constitution of 1970 provides that each legislator “shall” receive a salary as provided by law. ILL. CONST. 1970, art. IV, § 11. The Constitution further prohibits any “changes” to the salaries of legislators during their terms of office. Id. The General Assembly Compensation Act mandates that legislators’ salaries be paid in “12 equally monthly installments.” 25 ILCS 115/1. By intentionally withholding salary payments from legislators, the Comptroller has violated both Article IV, Section 11 of the Constitution and Section 115/1 of the General Assembly Compensation Act. The Comptroller’s actions are a direct threat to the independence of the General Assembly.
In 2004, the Illinois Supreme Court invalidated Governor Blagojevich’s attempt to threaten the independence and integrity of the Judiciary by eliminating judicial salary increases. In doing so, the Court stated as follows: “For checks and balances to work properly in protecting individual liberty, each of the three branches of government must be kept free from the control or coercive influence of the other branches.” Jorgensen v. Blagojevich, 211 Ill. 2d 286, 299 (2004). Protecting the Judicial or Legislative Branches of government from unwarranted intrusion by any executive branch officer is vital to preserving the separation of powers. As the Supreme Court stated, “Avoiding the concentration of governmental powers in the same person or political body was seen by the founding fathers as essential to freedom and liberty.”
In 2011, the Circuit Court of Cook County, Hon. Judge Neil Cohen presiding, invalidated Governor Quinn’s attempt to eliminate legislators’ annual salaries through a line item veto. Judge Cohen held that “the Governor’s line item veto of SB 214 was constitutionally void and of no effect.”
The Comptroller’s refusal to make monthly payments to legislators constitutes an unconstitutional change in salary and a violation of the General Assembly Compensation Act. As in Jorgensen, and Cullerton & Madigan, this Court should invalidate the Comptroller’s attempts to hold hostage the salaries for members of the General Assembly.
The Comptroller lacks legal authority to deny the members of the General Assembly their salary for a simple reason: the members of the General Assembly are elected by their constituents to represent their interests. By denying the members of the General Assembly their salary, the Comptroller is attempting to force the General Assembly to forgo representing the interests of their constituents and accede to the policy preferences of an executive office that has no formal role in the legislative process.
If the Comptroller is permitted to unilaterally decide when and how often General Assembly members receive their salary, the independence of each member of the General Assembly is threatened. For some legislators their legislative salaries constitute their principal or only source of income. Accordingly, if the Comptroller were permitted to withhold salaries of members of the General Assembly, unless and until they acceded to her legislative preferences, he or she would use that power to unconstitutionally influence the will of the Legislative Branch.
In this particular instance, the Comptroller has stated that her dispute with the General Assembly concerns the appropriation process. If the Comptroller’s actions are sustained, there will be no limit to the power the Comptroller could assert over members of the Legislative Branch. Future Comptrollers could refuse payment until any policy demands are met to the Comptroller’s satisfaction. Allowing such power to be vested in the Comptroller would irrevocably alter the separation of powers so carefully crafted by the framers of the Illinois Constitution of 1970.
By this action, Plaintiffs, elected members of the Illinois General Assembly, respectfully request this Court declare that the Comptroller is required by the Illinois Constitution and Illinois law to pay their salaries and the salaries of all other members of the General Assembly in the full amounts required by law, and in a timely manner. As the Comptroller lacks discretion to withhold the members’ salaries, Plaintiffs further request this Court issue a writ of mandamus ordering the Comptroller to pay legislative salaries forthwith to remedy that constitutional and statutory violation.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Says the guy who made $180 million last year…
Rauner on lawsuit from some state reps over when they're paid: Wow. Good grief.
“I was very clear on the issue of withholding legislators’ pay during my campaign: Everyone needs to
share in the sacrifice. My policy will be to prioritize the most vulnerable people in our State and continue the delay in legislators’ pay, unless a court instructs me to do otherwise.”
Sorry about the original post of that statement. I cut it off accidentally.
* Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times takes a look at a big part of the Exelon bill that’s been mostly ignored…
State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, called it “the most important green energy bill that has ever come before the General Assembly.” […]
And the Environmental Defense Fund has said the bill will bring $12 billion to $15 billion in renewable energy capital investment to the state. […]
The bill is viewed by environmental advocates as being based primarily to fix the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard — or to fix the state’s renewable policies by restarting the industry and allowing projects to be built in the state. Those same advocates say just 20 percent of the bill concerns Exelon’s bailout, with about 10 percent benefitting ComEd and Ameren by running better energy efficiency programs. […]
Part of the renewable energy efforts in the bill include the development of wind farms, solar on roofs and a new provision called community solar, which allows people who can’t put solars on their roofs to subscribe to a project at a local business. Customers would see credits rolled off their electric bill for subscribing to those projects.
The remaining portions of the bill appear to be largely positive for clean energy. Notably, SB 2814 will reform the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policy, including requiring in-state procurement of renewables and increasing the target to 35% renewable energy by 2030, up from 25% by 2025.
This puts Illinois’ RPS towards the more ambitious end of the spectrum in the United States, even if it is still below the 50% by 2030 targets set by New York and California, let alone Vermont’s 75% by 2032 or Hawaii’s 100% by 2045.
Perhaps more significantly, solar advocates say that the previously broken system of renewable energy credits will now be replaced with a declining block grant incentive program. This is the model that has been implemented in New York and California, and Massachusetts’ latest draft solar program is also following this model. The exact level of incentives will not be set by SB 2814.
“We are encouraged to see SB 2814 pass without anti-consumer, anti-solar proposals like mandatory demand charges, and ending net metering. Legislators and utilities listened to the public and to consumer advocates–like Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and AARP–and made it clear that job growth, the environment, and energy choice are important,” said Amy Heart, Director of Public Policy for Sunrun and spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice. “SB 2814 also contains positive pieces such as a fix to the Renewable Portfolio Standard, which will go a long way to increasing access to solar in Illinois, helping residents and businesses manage and lower energy bills, and expanding job opportunities in the solar industry.”
“While this bill contains difficult compromises, this is a tremendous leap forward for clean energy in Illinois. With these policies now in place and strengthened, we will continue the work to reduce dangerous carbon pollution, support opportunities for family-sustaining jobs in Illinois’ energy economy, ramp up renewable energy and ensure that clean energy opportunity is prioritized for communities burdened for decades by pollution.
“Clean energy technology is growing every year in Illinois. These policies will nurture that shift away from fossil fuels, bolster our energy economy, and help ensure that every Illinois community can thrive in the clean energy economy. With federal climate action being more uncertain than ever, it is more important than ever that states act decisively on climate change, and Illinois is doing just that.”
…Adding… Reps. Laura Fine and Jerry Costello were added to the list since I took that screen shot.
…Adding More… Reps. Deb Conroy, Anna Moeller and Michelle Mussman were all just whacked. I’m not sure why it’s taking the ILGOP so long to get these out because they are all identical. For instance…
Will Anna Moeller Vote to Bail Out Chicago?
Moeller Should Make Clear Where She Stands
“Within the next two weeks, Anna Moeller must decide whether she will stand with the families in her district, or vote to bail out Chicago Public Schools with $215 million in taxpayer money. Moeller should make clear today where she stands.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
After Democratic leaders yesterday reneged on their promise to pass pension reform, an agreement that would have freed up resources for Chicago schools, House Democrats will soon face their first big test.
They can either stand for taxpayers who are demanding fiscal sanity from Springfield, or vote to recklessly bail out Chicago Public Schools.
Will Deb Conroy Vote to Bail Out Chicago?
Conroy Should Make Clear Where She Stands
“Within the next two weeks, Deb Conroy must decide whether she will stand with the families in her district, or vote to bail out Chicago Public Schools with $215 million in taxpayer money. Conroy should make clear today where she stands.” – Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
After Democratic leaders yesterday reneged on their promise to pass pension reform, an agreement that would have freed up resources for Chicago schools, House Democrats will soon face their first big test.
They can either stand for taxpayers who are demanding fiscal sanity from Springfield, or vote to recklessly bail out Chicago Public Schools.
…Adding Still More… They keep coming in: Manley, McCasey, Kifowit, Willis, Sente, Gabel and Nekritz.
Lawmakers approved the CPS bill at the end of June, but Cullerton did not send the measure to Rauner until last month. The delay was intended to provide time to reach a deal on a larger pension measure, but that was never achieved.
“If he wants to tie it to something else like pension reform, that’s something I am supportive of. We haven’t talked about putting the two things together at this point in time,” Cullerton said.
Cullerton said the governor told the leaders today that he wasn’t going to sign the CPS funding bill.
“The governor indicated that he thought before he would sign that he wanted to have some pension reform,” Cullerton said. “That was the governor’s insistence. We passed the bill and put it on his desk, so I would urge him to sign it. If he’s not going to sign it because he wants something else, he hasn’t told us what that is yet.”
Still, President Cullerton withdrew his motion to reconsider the bill, ruled that Leader Radogno’s motion was inapplicable, and presented the bill to me for approval or veto – forcing me to take action. Then today, President Cullerton suddenly denied that the leaders had agreed that this bill would depend upon first enacting comprehensive pension reform. Breaking our agreement undermines our effort to end the budget impasse and enact reforms with bipartisan support.
Illinois Democrats failed Thursday to override the Republican governor’s veto of $215 million to help the financially struggling Chicago Public Schools with pension payments as negotiations on an overdue state budget broke down again.
Using its Democratic supermajority, the Senate quickly voted to overturn Gov. Bruce Rauner’s move, but the House adjourned for the year Thursday evening without bringing the override question for a vote. Although the House has 15 days to try again, it’s unclear if there is enough support in the chamber.
Losing the money would be a huge blow to the finances at CPS, which crafted the current year’s budget expecting the funds. Without state support, officials at the nation’s third-largest school district have warned of budget cuts and in the past they’ve said that could include layoffs.
House lawmakers have 15 days to take up the override, but the body is not scheduled to return to Springfield until Jan. 9 — two days before new lawmakers are sworn into office. Lawmakers could return before then, though it’s often difficult to round up people during the holiday season. Even then, it likely would take all 71 House Democrats to overturn Rauner unless a few Republicans buck the governor.
The House has 15 days to try to override the veto, and convincing its members to push one through, albeit on a specially called session day, may be the best option for Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the families of 380,000 CPS students.
That favored political script would duplicate what happened last spring with legislation giving Chicago 15 more years to ramp up to a 90 percent funding level for police and fire pensions.
Three Republican crossover votes pushed Emanuel over the finish line, giving him the 71 votes needed to override the governor’s veto of the police and fire pension reforms and to dodge another sizable property tax hike.
Emanuel pulled off the surprise victory, only after burning the phone lines. The question is, can he do it again?
“It’s not impossible to do, but it’s not going to be easy, either. It’s a high threshold to reach. Funding for Chicago Public School students is a polarizing issue when it shouldn’t be,” said a top mayoral aide, who asked to remain anonymous.
“People understand that pensions need to be funded, which is why we were successful on police and fire. With CPS, it’s not just teacher pensions, but also the impact on the operating budget, students and teachers. That’s a difficult thing to vote against. That’s what we have going for us. What we have going against us is a governor who has chosen to play politics and use children as hostages to get the reforms he wants. And he has a lot of influence in this Capitol.”
* OK, so one of the three Republicans who voted with the city on that pension override was Rep. Dave McSweeney. But he’s standing with Gov. Rauner on this one…
After Cullerton’s Senate overrode Rauner, House Democrats face a more difficult task. Republicans like northwest suburban Cary’s David McSweeney vowed to support the governor, calling money for CPS without pension reform “a bailout.”
“If you just give the city of Chicago, CPS, $215 million, with no pension reform, you don’t solve any problems,” McSweeney said.
Rep. David Harris (R-Arlington Heights) also voted to override the veto of that city pension bill. He told me this morning that, without pension reform, he’ll likely be voting with the governor on the CPS funding override.
Rep. Michael McAuliffe, the only Chicago Republican in the General Assembly, might be counted on to vote with the city, but that means there’s maybe only one guy on the other side of the aisle who will stand with CPS.
So, the House Democrats better make sure they have everybody in town if they want to override the bill within the next 15 days. And, as I mentioned yesterday, scheduling a special session that everyone can attend during the holiday season ain’t exactly easy.
In a response to efforts being made by Chicago politicians to bailout Chicago Public Schools, CPS, State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, said Feb. 16 that he was launching a petition drive to garner community support for his efforts to oppose any type of Chicago bailout.
“It is frustrating that as soon as Chicago cries for help because they messed up their own finances that Southern Illinois is expected to pick up the pieces and bailout them out,” Phelps said in a news release.
“The money earned by hard-working residents here in Southern Illinois should stay here and not be sent up to Chicago bureaucrats who are just trying to line their pockets.” […]
Recently Governor Rauner announced his plan for the state to bailout the failing Chicago Public School (CPS) system, a move being criticized by state Rep. Dan Beiser, D-Alton.
“Bailing out the Chicago Public School system is a terrible idea, especially when we have so many other problems with our state budget and our schools are in need of greater investment,” said Beiser. “I have long stood against the idea of Chicago getting an automatic cut of school funding while downstate schools are hurting. I object to the governor’s idea to put local taxpayers on the hook for Chicago’s fiscal mismanagement.”
Beiser voiced his frustration that Governor Rauner is focusing on a CPS bailout, rather than addressing the budget crisis impacting all corners of the state.
Both of those guys are at the top of the ILGOP’s 2018 hit list. Everyone else on the list (and more, I’m sure) will have to be extremely careful about taking a vote like this.
In other words, without a deal really soon on pension reform, it’s not looking very likely at all.
New projections show nibbling around the edges of the state’s budget problems will get Illinois nowhere.
The state may have gone for nearly a year and a half without a full budget. But there’s a surprising level of consensus about what must be done if lawmakers and the Gov. Bruce Rauner can come to a compromise on the governor’s policy demands and ultimately get down to trying to close the budget gap.
Political leaders, academics, commentators, Democrats and Republicans — even the rivals at the center of the impasse, Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan —all recognize that at least two components are needed: new revenues and cuts. […]
Unfortunately, the dosage isn’t nearly high enough. As a new report points out, such a plan wouldn’t come close to closing the budget gap. In fact, in 10 years, it could actually leave the state with a deficit similar to the one it’s in today.
New projections from the Fiscal Futures Project at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government And Public Affairs (IGPA) make the case that for Illinois to achieve a balanced budget, policymakers would have to agree to increasing the income tax, taxing some retirement income, eliminating tax breaks, applying the sales tax to certain services and making billions in cuts. A little economic growth would also be needed to make this cure viable.
Even under such a politically ambitious plan, it would take a decade for the state to reach solvency.
We combined the most recent data available (as of the end of October 2016) from the Comptroller with our model to calculate the same four measures of Illinois’ fiscal condition reported in January 2015. Under current (baseline) policies we find:
1. A deficit of around $13 billion for the current year (FY2017)
2. A projected gap of around $14 billion per year for the next five years
3. “Legacy costs” for unfunded liabilities for retiree pensions and health care of $174
billion
4. Unpaid bills for services already provided to the state of $10 billion
As our analysis will demonstrate, it is almost certainly not feasible to remedy imbalances of this magnitude by policy changes in a single year. Rather, climbing out of the hole that Illinois is in likely will require hard choices, fiscal discipline and sustained attention over a long period of time. Because of this, our analyses put particular emphasis on projecting the implications of sustained multi-year policy changes that move Illinois toward fiscal balance. […]
What are the alternatives to maintaining current revenue and expenditure policies? Alternatives to the baseline scenario come in essentially three flavors: (a) reduce spending, (b) increase tax rates or expand tax bases, or (c) generate more economic growth, which would in turn make it possible to generate more tax revenue at current tax rates while potentially holding or cutting spending. Our simulations examine each of these possibilities and show that none by itself is likely to be sufficient to close the budget gap and that, even if we model all of these potential policies and scenarios together, closing the budget gap is likely to be challenging and to take many years. […]
We see no plausible path to sustained fiscal stability without sacrifice—Illinois will need to simultaneously increase revenue and cut spending. But fiscal austerity alone will not guarantee success. Increasing revenue, especially through taxation, could discourage economic activity and be counter-productive in the long run. Any revenue enhancement policy should be carefully thought through and be consistent with continued vibrant economic activity. Similarly, budget cuts could be counter-productive if they neglect festering social problems that end up costing even more to deal with in the long run. Furthermore, budget cuts that reduce services essential to the smooth operation of the economy could reduce economic activity and ultimately lead to even larger budget gaps.
What is needed is a “grand plan” that includes multiple spending cuts, multiple new sources of revenue, and spreads these adjustments over multiple years in the form of even more borrowing. Finding the right mix of policies—sharing the pain of digging out of the hole that we are in—will require cooperation among a broad spectrum of groups in this policy arena. Groups will not only have to compromise among themselves but will have to engender confidence that they are committed to sustained action to fill in the budget hole. In the absence of a clear signal of a long-term commitment to this goal, neither workers nor business owners can be expected to make the necessary investments to build Illinois’ fiscal future.
* Gov. Rauner’s statement issued last night after the passage of the Exelon bill…
“For months our administration has been very clear that any energy legislation should follow the guiding principles of protecting jobs, ratepayers and taxpayers. After dozens of hours of good faith negotiations, we have reached an agreement that aligns with those principles. This legislation will save thousands of jobs. It protects ratepayers, through guaranteed caps, from large rate increases in years to come. It also ensures taxpayers are not on the hook to keep the power plants open and online. We thank the rank-and-file legislators and stakeholders for their perseverance and commitment to seeing this through. This process shows that when all parties are willing to negotiate in good faith, we can find agreement and move our state forward.”
The Illinois Manufacturers Association has been one of the harshest critics of the Exelon bill, testifying against it this week and taking an official stance in opposition. The IMA’s staff has been inundated with calls from members outraged at the prospect of their electric bills increasing, which they say would make the state’s business climate even worse.
* So, this ought to be interesting…
Daily Public Schedule: Friday, December 2, 2016
What: Governor Rauner Discusses Reforms to Create Jobs, Lower Property Taxes, Improve Schools and Enact Good Government Initiatives like Term Limits at the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association
Where: J.W. Marriott (Grand Ballroom)
151 W. Adams St., Chicago
Date: Friday, December 2, 2016
Time: 11:45 a.m.
*** UPDATE 1 *** From a pal at the event…
Rauner got a pretty decent round of applause when he was introduced. Greg [Baise] joked about not always agreeing. Gov said he’s personally opposed to “special deals” but “we have to play the cards we are dealt”. “I’ve never seen an issue where the experts were more divided” “I’m proud of the outcome, even though I don’t love it.”
* The Exelon bill has been retooled yet again to accommodate the governor’s objections. “All prevailing wage requirements have been removed from the bill,” said one source close to the negotiations. That’s been confirmed by others.
That would be a huge thing because Speaker Madigan has so far refused to back away from union-related issues like prevailing wage and his spokesman told Crain’s today that the language had been in the bill “for months”…
“Once again, they’re grasping at straws and they’re not quite getting the grip”
* The immediate effective date has also been removed by Amendment 10, so the bill now only requires 60 in the House and 30 in the Senate. That’s important because legislators are high-tailing it out of town as the afternoon wears on…
Hearing there may not be enough votes in Senate to pass the Chicago pension bill the House acted on today. Lots of people leaving town…
The CEO of Illinois’ second largest power generator is fuming over Rauner’s 11th-hour agreement to support Exelon’s nuclear-plant bailout—calling it a “regressive tax on rural America.”
“Illinois legislators and the governor have decided that nuclear jobs are more important than coal-mining and coal-generation jobs as well as all other industrial jobs in the state by throwing hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies at the feet of Exelon, a multibillion company located in Chicago,” Dynegy CEO Robert Flexon wrote in an email.
Houston-based Dynegy’s coal-fired plants are the primary source of electricity in central and southern Illinois and, like Exelon’s nukes in Clinton and Quad Cities, are at risk of closing due to persistently low wholesale power prices tied to the cheap cost of natural gas. Flexon said in a follow-up interview that Dynegy will spend to defeat any downstate lawmakers who vote for the legislation hiking rates statewide to bail out the two money-losing nukes Exelon has slated for closure.
If the bill becomes law, the company also will sue to overturn it on grounds it interferes with federal control of wholesale power markets. New York State’s program to subsidize Exelon-owned nuclear plants in that state already is the subject of such a lawsuit, and Dynegy is one of the plaintiffs. “I think you can look to New York to see what we’ll do next,” he said, referring to the lawsuit.
“By the state giving corporate welfare to Exelon, it is absolutely going to accelerate retirements of plants in central and Southern Illinois,” Flexon said.
Exelon has refused requests from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to include language in the bill that would provide refunds to ratepayers if a court halts the program.
Many Metro East steelworkers who have been laid off by U.S. Steel could be on the verge of some financial help. A proposal to extend unemployment insurance benefits is expected to be discussed this week on the floor of the Illinois House. […]
Essentially, the proposal extends benefits to 52 weeks. Current law only provides a 26 week period, meaning benefits for many of the roughly 2,000 laid-off steelworkers in Granite City have already expired.
“A lot of the lawmakers said that they felt that this is exactly what unemployment was meant for,” United Steelworkers Local 50 President Jason Chism told St. Louis Public Radio.
“Especially, whenever we’ve lost our jobs through no fault of our own down here. And it was due to trade and a lot of illegal foreign dumping of steel,” he said.
The U.S. Steel Mill in Granite City has idled its operations and laid off approximately 2,000 workers due largely to the illegal flood of cheap foreign steel into the United States.
United Steel Workers Local 1899 Dan Simmons hasn’t heard any good news coming out of the steel industry lately that could indicate a possible re-opening, leaving little immediate hope for workers.
“They’re hurting,” Simmons told the Labor Tribune. “They’re losing houses, they’re selling everything, some are leaving town. It’s bad.
“I’ve had people crying in my office – they can’t pay their bills,” he added. “I’ve handed out more food in the past two weeks than I’d handed out the whole time up until then. I’ve got a food bank that’s almost empty.
“This is the worst time I’ve ever experienced in my 38 years working there.”
* The bill overwhelmingly passed the House today…
House just doubled unemployment benefits for steelworkers only while all other unemployed workers are left out of deal. 3 of us voted No
* The National Association of Social Workers tells me that the group has $400,000 budgeted for direct mail programs through June. As mentioned earlier today, the NASW hotly opposes the Exelon bailout bill. Here are a couple of mockups of planned post-session mailers. Click the pics for larger, clearer images…
* Senate President John Cullerton emerged from the leaders meeting today to deny that the Democrats had ever agreed to do a pension reform deal in exchange for a $215 million appropriation for Chicago Public Schools.
“We haven’t talked about putting those two things together,” Cullerton said, even though it was widely reported that a deal had, in fact, been made back in June.
Cullerton said the governor told the leaders today that he wasn’t going to sign the CPS funding bill.
“The governor indicated that he thought before he would sign that he wanted to have some pension reform,” Cullerton said. “That was the governor’s insistence. We passed the bill and put it on his desk, so I would urge him to sign it. If he’s not going to sign it because he wants something else, he hasn’t told us what that is yet.”
However, House GOP Leader Jim Durkin told reporters that it is “disappointing that they’ve walked away from the deal we had in that room last June regarding the Chicago Public Schools and the $200 million in exchange for a pension reform bill to be completed by the end of this General Assembly. They’ve gone back on it… They’re not interested in pension reform, they’re more interested in stopgap.”
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno agreed with Durkin’s take.
* Meanwhile, Speaker Madigan told reporters that he was available to meet over the weekend with the other leaders, but not on Friday or Monday.
Madigan also shot back at the governor’s claim that he demanded a stopgap budget.
“I did not suggest a stopgap budget,” Madigan said. “The idea of a stopgap budget originated with the governor or his people.”
“The word stopgap was never used,” Madigan said. “I’m suggesting a budget. I’m suggesting a budget. There was very little discussion about budget-making today.” He didn’t specify what those other topics were.
But Leader Radogno said, “It’s all semantics whether you call it an ‘unbalanced budget’ [or] a ’stopgap budget.’ What we need and what we’re committed to continue to work on is a balanced budget that will contain reforms.”
Senate President Cullerton waved off the entire issue. “A stopgap budget is what you would do if you couldn’t pass a balanced budget. I want to focus on passing a full budget,” he said.
Rauner also discovered a provision on prevailing wages that he accused archrival House Speaker Michael Madigan of inserting into the bill, this source said.
Madigan’s spokesman Steve Brown said the prevailing wage language has been in the legislation for months. “Once again, they’re grasping at straws and they’re not quite getting the grip,” he said.
* One positive (I suppose) development today, however, was that staff has been assigned to take a look at some reform and budget proposals.
*** UPDATE 1 *** Well, that didn’t take long. The governor has vetoed the CPS funding bill…
Governor Bruce Rauner took action today on the following bill:
Bill No.: SB 2822
An Act Concerning Public Employee Benefits
Action: Vetoed
Veto Message
To the Honorable Members of
The Illinois Senate,
99th General Assembly:
Today I return Senate Bill 2822, which would give $215,000,000 to Chicago Public Schools without having reached agreement on comprehensive pension reforms for the State and local governments.
In June we agreed on a six-month funding bridge to a balanced budget with structural and economic reforms. Democrat leaders were clear at that time that an agreement to end the budget impasse was not possible before the election. Although disappointed, we came together to fund schools and critical government operations until legislative leaders were willing to reengage in serious, good faith negotiations.
As a precondition to funding schools statewide, Democrats proposed a $700 million State bailout of CPS. We eventually agreed to provide CPS with $215,000,000 – the estimated amount of its Fiscal Year 2017 employer normal pension cost – but only if we came together to pass comprehensive pension reform. Without reforms to solve our structural problems, taxpayer money would continue to be wasted on bailout after bailout.
The agreement was clear: Republicans supported Senate Bill 2822 only on condition that Democrats reengage in serious, good faith negotiations; and President Cullerton and Leader Radogno filed motions to reconsider the bill, which would keep the bill in the General Assembly until a pension reform agreement was reached.
The election is over. Despite my repeated request for daily negotiations and hope to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of next week, we are no closer to ending the impasse or enacting pension reform. Still, President Cullerton withdrew his motion to reconsider the bill, ruled that Leader Radogno’s motion was inapplicable, and presented the bill to me for approval or veto – forcing me to take action. Then today, President Cullerton suddenly denied that the leaders had agreed that this bill would depend upon first enacting comprehensive pension reform. Breaking our agreement undermines our effort to end the budget impasse and enact reforms with bipartisan support.
The taxpayers of Illinois want a balanced budget. That can only be done if we address the structural imbalances that have bankrupted the State and CPS alike and drain resources that should be spent on other priorities, like improving schools and funding social services. The taxpayers of Illinois do not want just another bailout. Let’s get back to work to end the budget impasse and put Illinois on the right track once and for all.
Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 2822 entitled “AN ACT concerning public employee benefits”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.
The house to which a bill is returned shall immediately enter the Governor’s objections upon its journal. If within 15 calendar days after such entry that house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall be delivered immediately to the second house. If within 15 calendar days after such delivery the second house by a record vote of three-fifths of the members elected passes the bill, it shall become law.
The Senate has just journalized the veto. The clock now starts ticking, but today is the final scheduled day of veto session and scheduling another day during the holidays would be nearly impossible. So, the Senate and the House may have to vote on this today and there are attendance issues in both chambers. Plus, how do they put their targets on this thing, particularly since it likely can’t pass the House anyway? Stay tuned.
*** UPDATE 3 *** From Senate President Cullerton…
“Just this week I presented a pension reform model to the governor. I’m shocked and disappointed by his actions today. Chicago had taken steps to increase local responsibility and reform pensions. Two more pension system reforms are pending in the General Assembly. From where I stand, we were moving forward.
“The legislation that contained funding for Chicago schools was sent to the governor on Nov. 7. He had another month before he faced a deadline to act on it.
“By acting in such haste, the governor has unfortunately set back negotiations that I believed were advancing. Even worse, he has potentially forced the layoff of thousands of Chicago teachers and district employees.
“I don’t understand and am thoroughly disappointed in his short-sighted move.”
*** UPDATE 4 *** From the ILGOP…
Will Democrats Back the Chicago Bailout?
Time for House and Senate Democrats to Choose
“Democratic leaders today broke their promise to enact statewide pension reform, and instead want to force a taxpayer funded bailout of Chicago Public Schools. House and Senate Democrats will have a clear choice to make – will they support the schools and taxpayers in their districts, or send a $215 million check to Chicago?” - Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe
After Madigan and Cullerton reneged on their promise to pass pension reform, an agreement that would have freed up resources for Chicago schools, House and Senate Democrats will face their first big test.
Will they choose to recklessly bail out Chicago Public Schools, or will they stand with taxpayers who demand Springfield and the City of Chicago exercise fiscal sanity?
Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said she wasn’t surprised by Rauner’s veto.
“He was never going to give us any money,” said Lewis, who has regularly slammed the Republican governor.
“He just lied about it. He’s a liar, he always has been,” she said Thursday. “He’s trying to starve CPS, that’s his goal.”
Rauner’s veto comes less than a week before the Chicago Board of Education is expected to take another vote on an annual operating budget that now exceeds $5.5 billion. The spending plan has to go through another vote to include tens of millions of dollars of new expenses related to the contract deal reached with CTU in October.
A union representing state workers filed suit Wednesday in St. Clair County, seeking to prevent Gov. Bruce Rauner from imposing his final contract terms.
Rauner ended talks last winter with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees state council. A state labor board sided with Rauner this month that talks were at “impasse.” That means the governor can impose his terms.
He did that a second time Wednesday in announcing an employee drug and alcohol testing plan.
Rauner’s office said the governor’s final offer includes $1,000 merit pay for employees, overtime after 40 hours, bereavement leave, workplace safety task forces, the use of volunteers, and drug and alcohol testing of those reasonably suspected of use on the job.
* From the Rauner administration…
The American Federation of State County Municipal Employees yesterday filed suit in St. Clair County to block the administration from implementing its last, best, and final offer including $1,000 merit pay for employees, overtime after forty hours, bereavement leave, workplace safety task forces, the use of volunteers, and drug and alcohol testing of those reasonably suspected of use on the job.
“Overtime after 40 hours of work, workplace safety task forces, drug and alcohol testing for those reasonably suspected of use on the job, and bereavement leave are not unreasonable and simply make sense,” Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said. “We ask that AFSCME work with us on implementing these common sense changes and ensure that employees’ bonuses are not delayed because of needless, meritless litigation.”
On November 15 the neutral Illinois Labor Relations Board ruled unanimously that the parties are at impasse and the Rauner administration can implement its last, best, and final offer to AFSCME.
* From AFSCME…
AFSCME has asked a circuit court to halt the Rauner administration’s unilateral imposition of its demands on state employees, including a 100% increase in health premiums, a four-year pay freeze and a blank check for the governor to outsource public services for private profit.
Governor Rauner entered a binding legal agreement clearly stating that no changes can be implemented unless the Labor Board finds the parties are at impasse. Under Illinois law, there is no such finding until the Labor Board issues a written decision, which it has not yet done.
The Rauner administration walked out on bargaining in January and has refused to negotiate ever since. In contrast, AFSCME has repeatedly said we are prepared to consider any of the governor’s proposals and to modify our own, but that requires both parties to be at the bargaining table.
Governor Rauner should negotiate, not dictate. By forcing confrontation instead of seeking compromise, the governor bears responsibility for this litigation and the threat of a disruptive strike.
* From the Illinois Policy Institute’s news service…
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner wants to literally one-up President-elect Donald Trump when it comes to repealing regulations.
Regulation repeal is one of the priorities Trump has laid out for his first 100 days.
“I will formulate a rule which says that for every one new regulation, two old regulations must be eliminated, so important,” Trump said.
Rauner was asked last week about Trump’s proposal. He said he likes that idea, but that he’s been wanting to go a step further for a while.
“I think what I said two years ago is that it should be three-to-one.”
Rauner said Illinois has too many regulations.
“We always rank in the bottom five from regulatory burden,” Rauner said. “We license almost everything.”
But Rauner said he doesn’t want to go too far.
“Regulations are necessary to keep people safe and to protect health…but there’s a balance,” Rauner said. “There’s got to be a balance. We’re at one extreme end. We need to come to the center and have some pragmatic regulations.”
That’s nice and all, but has he actually proposed eliminating three regulations to every new one created during the last two years? I must’ve missed that press release.
* Another attempt to soften his image, apparently…
Send us your questions! Ask about our fav things, what we like to do to relax & what it’s like living in the Exec. Mansion. #RaunerLivepic.twitter.com/sRaeqTs2GD
WHAT: In anticipation of Governor Rauner’s Facebook Live event, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on December 1, advocates to create affordable housing and end homelessness call on Governor Rauner to tell us why he continues to hold up passage of a fully funded budget with adequate revenue based on his non-budget “turnaround agenda” demands. This is much more important question than what Governor Rauner’s Facebook page suggests he will discuss during his online chat with First Lady Diana Rauner, including “our favorite things, what we like to do to relax and what it’s like living in the Executive Mansion.”
In anticipation of Governor Rauner’s Facebook Live event, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on December 1, advocates to create affordable housing and end homelessness are asking Governor Rauner to tell us why he continues to hold up passage of a fully funded budget with adequate revenue, especially for programs that serve people experiencing homelessness, based on his non-budget “turnaround agenda” demands.
“We are asking Governor Rauner to explain why people who are homeless have to suffer because of the state budget impasse and inadequate funding for basic human needs, such as housing,” said Bob Palmer, Policy Director for Housing Action Illinois. “It isn’t fair that our elected officials, including Governor Rauner, are able to celebrate the holidays from the warmth of their homes and not address the needs of those who have no home at all.”
With the stopgap budget expiring on December 31, 2016, we think this is a more important question for Governor Rauner than hearing about the topics his Facebook page suggests he plans to discuss during the online chat with First Lady Diana Rauner, including “our favorite things, what we like to do to relax and what it’s like living in the Executive Mansion.”
State-funded homeless service providers, who operate homelessness prevention programs, services for unaccompanied youth, emergency shelters, transitional living programs and supportive housing, have been struggling throughout the state budget impasse, now entering its 16th month. Agencies have laid off staff, reduced and eliminated services, denied shelter to people experiencing homelessness and taken other actions to deal with the impasse.
Supportive housing providers serving people who were formerly homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have particularly struggled during the state budget impasse. The stopgap budget passed earlier this year only provides $8 million in funding through the Supportive Housing Services line item and no funding will be available after December 31, 2016. To adequately fund this line item would actually take $16.1 million in order to pay for services, such as case management and job training, in all the permanent supportive housing projects throughout the state that need it.
During the fiscal year prior to the start of the state budget impasse, Fiscal Year 2015, the Supportive Housing Services Program, provided services to 12,274 people who were formerly homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, including single adults and families with children.
Supportive housing is a wise investment, as it is vastly more affordable than housing an individual in a state mental hospital, state prison or nursing home. In addition to the supportive housing services specifically for people who were formerly homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, other State of Illinois supportive housing resources serve people with a serious mental illness. These providers will also stop receiving funding after December 31.
Supportive housing provides affordable rental homes with essential social and human services closely attached. It ends homelessness and unnecessary institutionalization for children and adults who have special needs such as a mental illness, an intellectual or developmental disability and/or chronic, debilitating physical illnesses like multiple sclerosis or HIV/AIDS.
This Facebook Live event is being presented by Housing Action Illinois, a statewide coalition formed to protect and expand the availability of quality, affordable housing throughout Illinois. Housing Action Illinois is a member of the Responsible Budget Coalition, a large, diverse non-partisan coalition of more than 300 organizations unified in support of a fully funded, yearlong state budget with adequate revenue to serve our people and empower our communities.
* As we discussed yesterday, Gov. Rauner says he won’t agree to any stopgap budget for the last six months of this fiscal year unless the General Assembly approves a permanent property tax freeze and term limits. Early this morning, Rauner posted a video to his Facebook page explaining himself. Here’s my copy…
“These reforms would let job creators know it is a new day in Illinois, and that long term we’ll be a better place to invest,” Rauner said. “We are at a key turning point in Illinois’ history.”
Madigan has said the governor should drop demands that are not directly related to the budget, and the veteran speaker, first elected in 1970, has long said the state already has term limits in the form of elections.
The Rauner Facebook gambit is a way to try to frame up the final day of the General Assembly’s fall session at a time when both sides have been trying to pin blame on the other for a lack of a full state budget since July 2015 and are doing so again with a stopgap plan about to run out.
While both sides have long said a combination of tax increases and budget cuts will be needed to help balance the books, Madigan tried to flip the script Wednesday. The long-serving speaker suggested the first-term governor’s push for a deal in the coming weeks is an effort to muscle though a tax increase during the lame-duck session — the couple of weeks in January when lawmakers who did not win re-election could take tough votes on their way out the door.
In the 2-minute video, Rauner called Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s refusal to talk about reforms and push for another stopgap budget “unacceptable.” Rauner also brought up Madigan’s comment last December that the state income tax rate should be raised back to at least 5 percent to help balance the state’s finances. Rauner has said he’ll support a tax hike only if it comes alongside reforms.
“More deficit spending would be a failure for the people of Illinois. It would force more job creators out of the state and force an even bigger tax hike in the future,” Rauner said in the video. “I’ve informed the speaker that the only way that I could possibly accept another stopgap spending plan is if we include two powerful bipartisan reforms with it: term limits and a permanent property tax freeze. These two reforms would let job creators know that it it is a new day in Illinois, and that long term, it will be a better place to invest.”
The Rauner-backed bill would freeze property tax levies for all units of government and give communities local control of their property taxes through referendum. More local control of bargaining is one of the governor’s sought-after goals. Under the bill, local communities would be able to control their property taxes directly, the governor’s office said.
The term limits resolution would allow voters to decide in the 2018 election whether to adopt term limits. Legislators would be limited to 10 years of service in the Illinois General Assembly, and Rauner and other constitutional officers would be limited to eight years of service. There are two proposed resolutions, one in the House and one in the Senate.
[Subscriber protection removed because this story is getting out there.]
* As I mentioned at the bottom of the Capitol Fax today, the governor’s folks have found some “hidden surprises” in the Exelon bill. This was provided on background a few minutes ago…
Caucus staff and our staff are finding multiple concerns of items not agreed to and potential poison pills including loose cap language and expansion of prevailing wage.
While the governor agreed to a specific framework, it appears the speaker may be trying to play politics and put the bill in jeopardy.
The administration reserves its [amendatory veto] prerogative if a bill with poison pills for job creators reaches our desk — but it stands by the agreed framework.
*** UPDATE 1 *** It’s having an impact…
New confusion in Sen. comm. over Exelon bill. Committee chair reads aloud tweet about gov's office saying there are 'poison pills' in bill
Exelon agreed to impose hard rate caps on all customers, but with more than $835 million in spending each year according to Exelon’s House testimony, making the math work was difficult. Pages 21 and 42 of HA4 make clear how they’re gaming schools, hospitals and all commercial and industrial (C&I) customers:
Comparing Apples to Oranges: Using “electric service” as the baseline against which Exelon applies its 1.3% rate cap for commercial and industrial customers including hospitals and schools almost doubles the potential rate increase. “Electric service” includes not just energy but many other energy products. A ZEC, by comparison, is simply priced as a megawatt hour (MWh) of energy. By comparing “electric service” apples to ZEC oranges, Exelon is ensuring far more $$$$ is available than the 1.3% suggests.
For the 106 largest industrial customers (>10MW), HA4 specifies $59.80/MWh for “electric service” (page 21, lines 18-23), despite $30- 35 being the market price for large C&I customers in IL. Exelon max increase of $0.78/MWh instead of market-based $0.39 - .46/MWh.
For all other C&I customers like hospitals, schools and retailers, HA4 baseline is $89.00 (page 42, lines 8-14) instead of the market price $35- 40. Exelon max capped increase of $1.16/MWh instead of $0.50/MWh.
*** UPDATE 2 *** From the NASW…
National Association of Social Workers- Illinois Calls For Bailout for Human Services
In light of the fact that it appears the Illinois General Assembly is poised to pass a last minute rate hike bailout for the Exelon Corporation, we are calling on legislators to pass a bailout for the thousands of jobs lost (and that are about to be lost in the human service sector) due to a lack of funding.
We commend the hard work put into the bailout for a corporation who posted a 2.27 billion profit last year, but humbly ask where is the bailout for the human service sector providers who are running up large amounts of debt to cover the state’s commitments?
We applaud the environmental groups who are getting entirely new spending on green initiatives through a ComEd rate increase, but inquire from the general assembly where is the bailout to pay for the spending for contracts that human service providers have already delivered on?
We have lost far more jobs than will be saved by the Exelon bailout, and we are positioned to lose even more in the coming months, however unbelievably it appears the priorities of the general assembly are to the shareholders of a utility company over our homeless, our mentally ill, our child care providers and our students.
The State of Illinois has limited dollars in which to pull from their citizens to service our human service needs before the burden becomes too high. Rather than using those dollars for general fund commitments, the general assembly appears to have chosen to pull some of those funds to save a disproportionate number of jobs and increase a utility company’s bottom line. We would prefer our tax dollars were used to bailout the Illinois social service providers rather then Exelon (via a rate increase).
We are also having a hard time reconciling the justification that a lame duck tax increase (that would finally help fund our human services) should not be done until the newly elected officials are sworn in, however an Exelon bailout in the final days is perfectly fine. Absent a human services bailout bill passing in one day, we request the general assembly follow their same logic and kick the Exelon bailout can to the next general assembly. Which hopefully will be an assembly who will prioritize the jobs of our human service providers with the same urgency the current assembly appears to be placing on bailing out Exelon/ComEd.
Three More Added To BossMadigan.com
- Time for Dan Beiser, Stephanie Kifowit, and Katie Stuart to Prove Their Independence -
The Illinois Republican Party this morning made three new additions to BossMadigan.com. Rep. Dan Beiser, Rep. Stephanie Kifowit and newly elected Katie Stuart are now highlighted on the website.
“Mike Madigan is blocking votes on term limits and a property tax freeze in order to force an income tax hike with no reforms on the people of Illinois after the New Year,” said Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe. “If Dan Beiser, Stephanie Kifowit and Katie Stuart are at all serious about improving Illinois, they should oppose Mike Madigan as Speaker until he allows votes on these popular, bi-partisan reforms.”
Dan Beiser
Dan Beiser’s backed Mike Madigan for Speaker six times and received over $700,000 from Madigan’s campaign funds this year. Beiser was Madigan’s sidekick in supporting Rod Blagojevich’s pension scheme that added up to $22 billion in new debt to the pension system. More recently, Beiser backed Madigan’s $8 billion unfunded budget that aimed to force a massive tax hike on Illinois families without reforms. Perhaps worst of all, Beiser voted to make sure he gets paid a taxpayer-funded salary even if a budget isn’t passed.
Katie Stuart
Mike Madigan spent nearly $1 million this year helping elect Katie Stuart. Already, Stuart’s backed Madigan’s plan to take $10 million from Metro East schools to help bail out Chicago Public Schools. Soon, she’ll face her first real test when it comes time to vote for Mike Madigan as Speaker, and she’s already signaling that she will put Madigan ahead of the people.
“Stuart is already playing a deceitful games with the voters. Asked if she intended to vote to re-elect House Speaker Michael Madigan, Stuart pretended to be flummoxed by the question.
‘I don’t know what the options will be,’ Stuart said. ‘You’re asking me a hypothetical question just like I wouldn’t tell you how I would vote on any piece of legislation until I actually read the legislation.’
She asserts that a Madigan bid for the speakership, a position he has held for much of his 40-plus year tenure, is purely ‘hypothetical’?
That’s not even close to being credible. If there’s anything that’s a certainty, it’s that Madigan already has, is now or will be asking members of his Democratic caucus to support his bid for another two-year term as their boss.”
Stephanie Kifowit
Stephanie Kifowit likes to act independent of Mike Madigan, but the truth is she’s taken over half a million dollars from him and twice voted to make him Speaker. Last year, she supported Madigan’s plan to double the income tax on many families without any reforms while making sure she gets paid no matter what. Stephanie Kifowit needs to walk the walk and oppose Madigan as Speaker to help deliver real reforms for the people of Illinois.
