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Standoff over stopgap

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Illinois

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday dodged the question of whether he will sign a bill on his desk that provides $700 million in emergency funding for groups that provide social services to the state’s most vulnerable residents.

“These short-term fixes aren’t really where we should focus our time,” he said, characterizing the legislation as a “short-term Band-Aid.” […]

Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan, said Sunday that Rauner signed a similarly structured higher education funding bill in recent weeks, so logic would point toward Rauner also signing off on social service funding.

“We’ve attempted to work with the governor since he was sworn in in a professional and cooperative way,” Brown said. “His current plan is moving money from regular families to the 1 percenters.”

* But, as we discussed last week, there’s more to it than that…

Legislation passed earlier this month with bipartisan votes to get homeless, autism and elderly support organizations about half their usual state financing, meaning social services whose funding has been caught in the nearly 11 month political impasse may be on the way to getting some money.

Except, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s office continues to say the bill (SB2083) is rife with technical issues that his budget manager says will prevent money from flowing to some of the very agencies the measure is intended to help. The administration has indicated that will keep the governor from signing it into law.

“The claim that there’s drafting problems with the bill is pure nonsense from the governor’s communications team,” House Speaker Michael Madigan in an interview with NPR Illinois last week. “Why does he continue to insist that these agencies that provide for the vulnerable in our society and haven’t been or the services that they provide for the state. Why doesn’t he deal with that?”

Madigan also said of the $700 million funding bill: “There’s a bill on the governor’s desk where his communications department complains about drafting errors which are non-existent. The governor ought to focus on that bill because that would provide some money for social service agencies all over Illinois who have provided services on the promise from the Rauner administration that they’d get some money. And they haven’t gotten any money. And it’s been 11 months. That’s what the governor ought to be focused on.”

posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 23, 16 @ 8:57 am

Comments

This bill is written in plain English, right? There are drafting errors or there aren’t. Why is this so hard?

Comment by MSIX Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:04 am
“The way this bill is drafted obligates the state to follow through on its promises, which, in our view, is a technical problem.”

Comment by Boooooooo Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:06 am
Sun Times - Rauner laughed when asked about Madigan’s suggestion that the pro-business reforms — such as changes to workers’ compensation and collective-bargain rights — are part of a personal agenda Rauner is trying to carry out.

“That’s so wrong,” he said. “That’s just fundamentally wrong. This is not my agenda. This is the agenda of the people of Illinois.”

Now it’s the people’s agenda.

Let’s to put it to a referendum and put this to bed.

Comment by Chicago 20 Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:12 am
==Let’s to put it to a referendum and put this to bed==

Hmm… I think we already did when the governor was elected.

Comment by Anon Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:17 am
Look at the votes in both chambers! This once again reinforces the view that Rauner is not interested in listening to the legislators or their constituents. The votes were overwhelming on the appropriations.

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/votehistory.asp?DocNum=2038&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=90582&GAID=13&SessionID=88&GA=99&SpecSess=

Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:23 am
More bus tire tracks on the backs of GOP legislators, courtesy of their leader.

I guess The Boss is still squeezing the beast.

They got a 30 minutes heads up when he signed the K-12 bill he told them to vote against. Any warning this time?

Comment by wordslinger Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:24 am
Ugh, another link… Please use the shortcut - @MisterJayEm - suggested.

Thank you.

To the Post,

The politics is this…

Rauner holds for 60 days, like a hostage.

Rauner gets a budget, making things better that way, abd signs.

Rauner vetoes and pretends it’s not his fault.

This are the options I guess(?)

Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:27 am
Rauner rhetoric as usual. The intent of the bill was to get money to social service providers. Rauner is trying to get some money for agency operations by claiming drafting errors. While the operations money supports some worthy programs, there are a plethora of worthy things Rauner chose not to fund.

Comment by Norseman Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:30 am
=== Ugh, another link… Please use the shortcut - @MisterJayEm - suggested. ===

I didn’t see @MisterJayEm’s shortcut, but you can Google “bitly” or “tinyurl” to convert long urls to manageable lenghts.

Comment by Norseman Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:35 am
The BigBrain wants slush fund for operations so he insists there is a “drafting error”
WRONG. Just sign the bill

Comment by Annonin' Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:38 am
- Oswego Willy - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:27 am:
“Rauner holds for 60 days, like a hostage.”

I thought that bills can only be held for 50 days?

If Rauner vetoes the bill then surely it will be overridden?

Comment by Jimmy H Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:40 am
- Norseman - Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:30 am:

Thank you for that info. Hope the press will report on that distinction.

Comment by Jimmy H Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:43 am
What are the minority leaders saying about Rauner holding SB2083?

Comment by Jimmy H Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:45 am
Apologizes about the link. Fingers moving faster than brain on Monday.

Also, the bill should have read SB2038, not SB2083 as referenced in the post and articles.

Comment by Anon221 Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:50 am
Wasn’t the agenda roundly dumped when barely a handful of Madeupville’s endorsed it via resolutions?

He knows it is not widely embraced. Believing otherwise is just an extreme example of positive self bias.

Comment by illini97 Monday, May 23, 16 @ 9:59 am
==Rauner said, “That’s so wrong,”. “That’s just fundamentally wrong. This is not my agenda. This is the agenda of the people of Illinois.”==

Rauner’s statement says it all! He does not care what the people of Illinois want, and he does not care if he hurts them. Its all about what he wants.

Comment by Mama Monday, May 23, 16 @ 11:20 am
Rauner just cowers behind his deck blaming Madigan instead of actually leading….

we elected Sergeant Schultz…. “I know nothing…… HOGAN

Comment by Ghost Monday, May 23, 16 @ 12:42 pm
Signature or subpoena?

Comment by Rabid Monday, May 23, 16 @ 6:31 pm