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Senate leaders mum about impasse talks

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* Subscribers were briefed on the details yesterday. We could see language pop as early as Monday, however…

The two Democratic and Republican leaders in the Illinois Senate have been talking about ways to try to break the long-running Springfield impasse ahead of next week’s lame-duck session, but both sides are being tight-lipped and downplaying the possibility anything will actually happen.

The private talks illustrate the delicate politics at the Capitol: After two years without agreement on a broad spending plan, neither side wants to spill the beans and compromise even the potential for movement.

The talks between Democratic Senate President John Cullerton and Republican Leader Christine Radogno come after a temporary spending plan that funneled money to universities, social service providers, prisons and veterans’ homes expired with the new year. Negotiations between the four legislative leaders and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner came to a halt in December amid a disagreement between the governor and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan about how to proceed.

A Cullerton spokesman declined to confirm or deny new negotiations with Radogno. A spokeswoman for the Republican leader said Radogno and Cullerton chat all the time.

As they brief more of their members, more stuff will come out.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:33 am

Comments

Oh Oh tell me more I cant wait!!! President Cullerton and his never ending need to make the Governor look good despite being rebuffed on Chicago School funding and made a villan in the last election. He just keeps coming back for more.

Comment by Obamas Puppy Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:37 am
Can’t see 1 Republican Senator voting for a big tax deal without assurances the bill will be called in the House.

Comment by Wow Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:40 am
More tap dancing to fill the until adjournment. The House will ignore it all .

Comment by Mokenavince Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:43 am
Finally, some courage and leadership being demonstrated. More like this, please.

Comment by KAA-boom Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:47 am
–The private talks illustrate the delicate politics at the Capitol: After two years without agreement on a broad spending plan, neither side wants to spill the beans and compromise even the potential for movement.–

There is, and can’t help but be, “broad agreement” on a spending plan: with continuing approps., court orders and consent decrees plus K-12, more than 90% of the budget is in the clear (albeit with massive deficits).

The issue is not, and never has been, the budget. It’s the preconditions the governor has publicly demanded, for two years, before engaging in passing a full-year budget.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:48 am
The less said “right now”, the better the chances.

This news actually gives me a glimmer of hope.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:49 am
Praying for epiphany.

Comment by morningstar Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:49 am
OP - my recollection is that President Cullerton was not much of an issue in the last election cycle. It was almost all Speaker Madigan. I could be wrong but I think MJM was the center of it all.

Wow - if he is still part of the caucus I would assume that Senator McCann would vote for the tax increase without much nudging. He was considering it in 2014 - well before Governor Rauner was elected and went after him.

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:50 am
The fear that leaks will kill any deal is worrisome even if understandable.

I wish them luck.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:51 am
Senators in both caucuses are tired of being caught between Rauner and Madigan.

Dem Senators have always been irritated by being tied to and overshadowed by Madigan, but now they fear it politically. And a few GOP Senators were spooked by how well Hillary did in their suburban districts and are worried about anti-GOP wave during the Trump mid-terms, not to mention Rauner’s sinking approval numbers. That makes things ripe for a deal.

But the odds of Madigan even calling a compromise budget that he had no roll in drafting are slim — unless he simply wants to kill it. Senators in both parties get that. So, they might have to weigh two difficult options: 1) vote for a tax increase/budget that likely won’t become law in order to create political daylight between them and Madigan/Rauner, or 2) do nothing and hope their constituents blame someone else for the mess in Springfield.

As Rich says, if you have to place a wager, always bet on “nothing” in Springfield.

Comment by Telly Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:57 am
As H.L. Mencken said: “A cynic is a man who, when he smells roses, looks around for the coffin”. Yes, it’s early but let’s give this small ray of hope a chance.

Comment by Julian's Melange Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 9:59 am
When they raise the income tax to within a sliver of 5% - I hope everyone calls out Bruce Rauner and his legislative minions as the phonies they are.

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:04 am
Word is totally on it. If Rauner simply dropped his “malum in se” preconditions we’d have compromise and progress immediately. The Governor needs to fight a conventional political war. His targeting of innocents, his indiscriminate destruction, his forcing DEMS to destroy their own are what is hindering a budget and destroying our state.
No businessman would do this

An amoral leveraged buyout artist would

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:07 am
The small tight-lipped group appears to be discussing the “possible”. I wish them luck and success.

Everyone has to walk away from any agreement feeling the same way. It doesn’t have to be a good feeling; just everyone feels like they got too little and gave up too much. That…is a deal. I hope we get one.

Comment by A guy Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:14 am
I was more hopeful the first time this was floated in January of 2015.

Comment by From the 'Dale to HP Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:18 am
Rauner needs some sort of budget to try to withstand an Afscme strike. He will agree to compromise on most things if he thinks he can break afscme.

Comment by Anon1234 Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:23 am
==He will agree to compromise on most things if he thinks he can break afscme.==

I don’t think this is true. I’ve seen no indication that he’s nervous about the result of the AFSCME impasse, and I don’t know that he should be.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:41 am
Depends on the deal, Handle Bar. If a deal comes down with big changes to pensions and/or the state aid formula, that’s much better than just raising the tax back to 5% by itself.

Comment by Athens Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:52 am
No, they would still be shameless phonies, Athens.

In 2014 the idea was not simply “back to 5%” - check the record.

Comment by Handle Bar Mustache Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:56 am
Anon1234 and Arsenal, Illinois cannot simply elect to not provide a great number of services involving federal matching funds. Examples include but aren’t limited to Medicaid, SNAP, child protective service and unemployment benefits. If AFSCME strikes, Illinois will have to pay personnel to determine eligibility for and provide these services…after training them to do so…and at the same time comply with “maintenance of effort” rules if and as applicable.

Comment by kitty Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 10:58 am
Anon1234, I think the TRO threw a real wrench in the plan. It was way more than even AFSCME asked for. I think the judge kicked Rauner in the eggs. No this is all stalling till the social service lawsuit takes all state workers pay down. That’s when Rauner and Madigan will crash into each other in this game of chicken or one of them will flinch. The task now is to figure out who gets sold down the river.

My bet
Afscme gets it
It will look like Rauner dropped everything
But what really happened is that Madigan will not support afscme in the contract battle

After a deal is struck Rauner pulls the trigger on forcing a strike vote

Then AFSCME will be responsible for taking the state back into chaos and shut down.

Only if Madigan says AFSCME contract or no deal.

I believe the governor wants AFSCME dead over everything.

That’s why I’m saying AFSCME will be Rauners Alamo.

Push comes to shove afscme’s head will be the only thing Rauner wants this time. Then next year he kills the trades and teachers.
Rauners war cry is Death to Labor, first last and always

Comment by Honeybear Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 11:00 am
Kitty,

That may be true, but what makes you think that matters to Rauner? He could destroy this State without any major impact on his lifestyle. He made his money breaking up companies and putting people out of work, so I can’t imagine you can rely on his sense of decency, either.

Comment by Pelonski Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 11:43 am
Raising taxes in Illinois, whether it be at the state or local level, has always been the solution. Find me a school district in the state that doesnt consistently raise taxes at a rate higher than Social Security increases.

Anyone care to guess how many elementary school PE teachers there are in the state knocking down over $75k.? K-12 and higher ed need serious cuts before I think the state income tax needs to be raised.

Comment by blue dog dem Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 11:44 am
I now recommend that the state slash the LGDF payments. Look at the AP headlines of ‘Tracking snow….’. Obviously Springfield has money to flush.

Comment by blue dog dem Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 11:57 am
Hopefully they come up with a budget. But it is a two part process. If the bill passes the Senate, it still needs to pass the house. I hope Madigan has given an okay on this, since it is up to him to ensure the bill gets to the house floor for a vote. It is a glimmer but I am not getting excited.

Comment by illinifan Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 12:06 pm
Is Rauner any more likely to sign a budget coming this way than one he produces and sends to the legislature? I don’t think so. He wants what he wants and hasn’t been willing to focus on a budget yet without his ever changing list of reforms. I saw a clip last night where he ran thru the 6 or 8 item list again…. along with saying it was the legislators’ responsibility to PROPOSE a budget.

this ‘private’ work in progress may very well result in a budget being sent to the governor, who will sign the education bill (if we even need one), and veto everything else just like last time.

Comment by thoughts matter Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 12:16 pm
Are any of our legislators wanting to wait and see the impact of the Trump admin policy proposals on state and local budgets. I’m thinking of changes that are being discussed not only for the ACA but in Medicaid ad Medicare, specifically Medicaid block grants. Wouldn’t block grants likely require the states to come up with more money or reduce services. Illinois, a blue state, would likely want to keep the services. But another tax increase on the heels of of a 2017 increase might be really hard to sell.

Comment by Cassandra Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 12:40 pm
Second verse, same as the first. Cullerton always wants to talk about the Grand Bargain. At the end of the day, not a single person in Madigan’s inner circle believes they can trust Rauner to spend the money correctly even if a tax rate can be agreed upon. There is a sub-Blago level of trust here, and that’s saying something.

Comment by Signal and Noise Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 12:40 pm
== this ‘private’ work in progress may very well result in a budget being sent to the governor, who will sign the education bill (if we even need one), and veto everything else just like last time. ==

I would hope the GA learned from last time and would pass but hold the education funding bill until the rest of the budget deal is actually signed.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Jan 6, 17 @ 1:42 pm