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Question of the day

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* If you were watching the live coverage post today, you saw that the Senate Democrats attempted to move ahead with some “grand bargain” votes even though the Republicans said the entire package wasn’t ready and ended up voting either “Present” or “No.”

* The Question: Do you think the Senate can get back on track or is this just too difficult to go it alone? Please explain your position. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:40 pm

Comments

Looks like it’s over.

Comment by anon Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:41 pm
Stick a fork in it. Democrats can’t pass things like pension reform (And probably tax hikes) on their own, and even if they do, Rauner now almost *has* to veto.

Terrible outcome for the state, and a pretty bad one for the Rauner campaign, too.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:43 pm
At least the Governor is finally out of the closet. He’s been pretending in public to want pension reform, a property tax freeze, procurement reform and more. When a bi-partisan deal was put on the table, he’s the one who walked away. I sure hope no one forgets.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:47 pm
I don’t believe it is dead yet. Using a medical analogy, the bill is in critical condition. The coming days should tell us if the patient gets better or is moved to ICU.

Comment by illinoised Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:49 pm
A no-go without the governor’s backing.

Thanks, Rauner drones. May you and your boss reap the whirlwind.

Comment by Crispy Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:49 pm
Can someone explain to a simpleton like me what “the entire package is not ready” means? Are people from each party still horse trading to get things in or out? Or is it that one party or the other is reneging on issues previously agreed upon and looking for a better deal? If that’s the case, we’ll never get a budget because as soon as you take something out, someone else wants something put in, etc.

Comment by Ratso Rizzo Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:50 pm
Rauner owns the Gop .

Its his way or the highway.

Forget any Grand Bargain.

Comment by MOON Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:50 pm
Are you hearing that there is a “real story” that subscribers will find out about tomorrow morning? I don’t understand why the votes were taken when Radogno said she wasn’t ready. It doesn’t look like she’s been unreasonably dragging her feet.

Comment by Grand Avenue Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:51 pm
It’s time to lead Dems should make the hard votes and defend them. Remove parts you added to get GOP support that you believe are bad for Illinois. Vote for what you think is good for Illinois and tell everyone why it is the best option. There is no need to compromise if the other side is not willing to compromise.

Comment by Progressive labor democrat veteran Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:53 pm
Ragdono urging a “present” vote for a package on which she herself had been working means, from the looks of things, since Governor Rauner couldn’t stop it covertly (via the Illinois Policy Institute, IL Chamber, etc.) he picked up the phone and put the brakes on overtly.

Comment by thunderspirit Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:56 pm
No one will take the tough votes if the Governor refuses to support it.

Until the Governor (a) leads and (b) acknowledges the required reality of 60 and 30, I don’t see anything meaningfully happening.

Comment by Henry Francis Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:57 pm
Pension benefits are not the cause of the “fake news” hole. Remove pension benefit cuts

Add the millionaire tax it’s whatbthenpeople wanted

Add in $15 minimum wage it’s what the people wanted

Remove the sugar tax

Removevworker comp the last change hasn’t really taken effect yet unless the changes are lower rates not less benefits.

Comment by Progressive labor democrat veteran Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:58 pm
I think it is dead on arrival. Rauner undermined the whole process. Feel sorry for senate GOP leadership. I wouldn’t be surprised to see every politician decide not to run again. Who wants to work with someone you cannot trust or respect.

Comment by sparky791 Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:58 pm
Dear Senator Radogno

After all your hard work, you have just been thrown under the bus by the head of your party. It should have been pretty clear from the IPI campaign against the budget that 1.4% and your republican’t colleagues were not going to be supporting you.

How many times are you going to beat your head against the wall and deep pockets of 1.4%? When are you going to learn that unless the entire caucus rises up against 1.4% and vote for the people of Illinois, nothing is going to get done because 1.4% doesn’t want to solve the problems that best our government.

Sorry you wasted your time,

Huh?

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 2:58 pm
It seems everyone is forgetting Springfield history. Is the “nothing is ever dead” maxim a relic of pre-Rauner, pre-hyper partisanship days?

Comment by orzo Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:00 pm
I was wrong. Missed the update on another post. This is self inflicted. Why would anybody work so hard to assemble a “grand bargain” and then vote present.

Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:01 pm
The Senate Prez didn’t let the game come to him, can’t truly have a grand bargain, with only 2/5’s of the universe. Back to square 1

Comment by Wow Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:02 pm
until we have sufficient pressure like state employees not getting paid or possibly a strike on their part will this madness end. it is just plain ridiculous!!

Comment by not buying today Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:06 pm
Every single GOP Senator is a coward and best and bought and paid for at worst.

The Senate can pass the bargain without Republican votes at which point it becomes very clear who exactly is responsible for this mess and that they have decided not to contribute.

Otherwise, it’s not over till it’s illegal for their staff to get paid.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:12 pm
I don’t understand why Cullerton would hastily push for a vote on the pension bill if Radogno was note ready. Did he not expect so many of his members to vote no?

The package may not be completely dead, but things aren’t looking good…

Comment by Speculator Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:14 pm
I know the grand bargain is a senate action but the House Dems should now lead by passing the budget items as they think will fix the budget. Example: Millionaires tax

Can the GOP really use doing the right thing against them?
Not if the dems message it correctly

If tables were turned and we had a GOP house and senate and a dem governor the GOP would pass what they believed and not flinch.

Dems stand tall you are right on the issues for Illinois

Comment by rural progressive labor democrat veteran Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:17 pm
So we’re all sure this is Rauner sabotage and not Dems playing games with the timing?

Comment by JohnnyPyleDriver Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:18 pm
Just when you thought politicians were going to stop sharing a backbone and grow their own…. Why did I ever get my hopes up?

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:18 pm
Maybe tomorrow they should vote on IPI’s budget plan - and see how the GOP votes. Rauner has given a lot of money to IPI. Let’s see if the GOP puts their votes where Rauner’s money has gone. It would be interesting to see what the Rauner and GOP leadership’s voting instructions would be for that?

Comment by Joe M Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:19 pm
No. The politics are against it. The votes have to show bipartisan support or it doesn’t have a chance of boxing Rauner in.

Comment by RNUG Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:20 pm
==So we’re all sure this is Rauner sabotage and not Dems playing games with the timing?==

Never sure of anything anymore, but I’d thought it was pretty clear that the Senate was going to take up these bills this week.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:22 pm
Games within games here, but the one most evident is the Guv’s duplicity in leading Sen Radogno to believe it worthwhile to pursue the “grand bargain,” then signaling his opposition. Once burnt like this, it’s gotta be very difficult to think about picking up the pieces and trying again. Think it’s dead now, by Rauner’s hand. Hope people remember.

Comment by Flapdoodle Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:23 pm
Sen Radogno has “supposedly” been working with Sen Cullerton on the Grand Bargain. We have been hearing about this for a month now and those two have been in the press hand-n-hand. When it comes the day to vote the GOP immediately begins to revolt and complain that they aren’t ready.

While the minor bills are being voted on and ALL GOP leaders vote either “no” or “present” she stands complaining. Then the Pension bill comes up and she screams that she is blindsided and that this breaks the agreement. Even says… I only agreed to the minor bills. Wait!! You mean the minor bills that you told your party to vote “present” on?

I am so tired of this GOP leadership following “one” man. It sickens me to see that this last month has been a complete waste and that they have chosen to follow the Rauner path of “give me what I want or give me nothing”.

Comment by OpenYourEyes Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:24 pm
It’s highly doubtful this can be resurrected. If Democrats won’t support their own leader’s proposal on Pension Reform, which I think most in the Senate D caucus found fairly reasonable, and if Senator Radogno can’t produce any support, then it’s probably over.

Now what?!

Comment by Commonsense in Illinois Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:26 pm
“Now what?!”

We get a new Governor.

Comment by Arsenal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:27 pm
The fat lady is spraying her vocal chords.

Comment by Norseman Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:29 pm
Why were bills moved forward individually instead of linked like they were supposed to be?

Why sabotage the deal?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:30 pm
If, after everything that’s happened, grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory is the best they can do, there’s very little hope of a deal any time soon.

Comment by AC Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:30 pm
It’s over. For all of the “Puppets of Madigan” talk, Rauner is pulling just as many strings. When Proft came out and said Republicans like Radogno must be defeated I think the odds went way down that this Grand Bargain would come to fruition. I think Rich had odds of it happening at 50/50 originally. Sadly, I’d say 1/1000 now.

Comment by CrazyHorse Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:31 pm
== So we’re all sure this is Rauner sabotage and not Dems playing games with the timing? ==

Sure? Nope. I’m not in the room, after all.

My supposition is from reading the tea leaves offered by IPI and the Illinois Chamber vocalizing their opposition to the bargain plan. Since I consider IPI a wholly owned subsidiary of the Governor’s office, I likewise consider their statements to be expressing his views. *Particularly* in a situation where it would be unwise for him to say something directly.

Comment by thunderspirit Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:33 pm
I’m waiting for the GOP to blame this on Madigan. I’m also waiting for CK’s response on behalf of Rauner. Like watching a bad re-run that we’ve seen too many times already.

Comment by Joe M Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:34 pm
This budget will fail.
In the end Rauner demands total capitulation.
Compromise is out of the question.
The end result will be blamed on others, but the GOP has failed Illinois again.

Comment by Chicago 20 Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:36 pm
Chicago20. Repubs failed the last couple years. Dms failed the previous 8-10. Then go back Repubs failed.etc….

Comment by blue dog dem Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:44 pm
Is the “real” story the coup and/or inability of Senate GOPies to get a guarantee from BigBrain on a veto of primary candidates and/or their their anger over not being listed as authors in the Journal of Shared Services?

Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:49 pm
Republicans aren’t going to take a tough vote unless Rauner is on board.

Democrats aren’t going to take a tough vote by themselves just to have it vetoed by Rauner.

If you’re like me, and believe squeeze-the-beast is the objective, and not unfortunate collateral damage, today is a big win for the governor.

Why do you think Rauner had IPI/Proft/Chamber beating the stuff out of GOP legislators?

He has the most powerful position in state government, by far, and he’s using it to get what he wants.

What Rauer wants is to burn it down. Why else would he have have invested so much money for these results, if he didn’t want them?

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:51 pm
=== No one will take the tough votes if the Governor refuses to support it. ===

Republicans would be crazy to stick their necks out on bad votes unless they know the Gov has their backs when Proft comes after them in 2018. Rauner either hasn’t decided, or is quietly opposed. The only sure thing is that he is not in support.

Comment by Anon Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:54 pm
Republicans can’t govern. I will gladly wager actual real American dollars against any plan that requires them to.

Comment by The Captain Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 3:56 pm
Lucky Pierre 3:30. Bringing these forth as separate bills is some sort of “sabotage?”

Please don’t hurt yourself stretching.

Comment by walker Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:00 pm
@Spectacular

I’m with you. What would it have hurt to give Radogno one more week? If she couldn’t deliver by next week, then move on it without her and the Republicans. I just feel like we might be missing something on the Dem side of this one…as much as that pains this liberal to say.

No matter the reason, this thing is off the rails now and it ain’t coming back. Radogno won’t be able to convince her caucus to trust the Dems & Cullerton won’t be able give reassurances after this.

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:05 pm
Was the senate bill on consolidation the one where the board of the agency being dissolved had to vote to initiate dissolution? If so, not even worth voting for. Practically pointless.

Comment by BK Bro Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:07 pm
I really don’t understand the argument that there hasn’t been enough time. When did the impasse start? If anything, I think Radogno and Cullerton took too long, long enough for interest groups like the IPI to put an end to the deal.

Comment by AC Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:27 pm
Lets face it Radogno got outmaneuvered by Cullerton, she bought in to this grand bargain and the only thing the GOP got was the royal shaft. As the song says “when will they ever learn”? Radogno ain’t ready for the big league. Now the dems have got real fodder for the next campaign, after which the GOP will be able to holds it caucus in a phone booth and still have plenty of room

Comment by the old man Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:31 pm
LP, they are linked together but are separate bills and will be separately. But if one of the 12 fails, they all fail. Try to keep up.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:32 pm
I am keeping up but why put the hardest one to pass (pension reform) at the from top the line before Leader Radogno was expecting it?

Because they wanted it to fail?

Comment by Lucky Pierre Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:51 pm
Nope munger wasn’t hired because there was going to be a budget

Comment by Rabid Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 4:55 pm
It was 1st and 10 and They dropped back and punted. It was like watching Matt Ryan fumble in the 4th quarter when all they had to do was take a knee and kick a field goal. Don’t need a touchdown to win. Move the ball forward.

Comment by The Cardinal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:03 pm
No - humpty dumpty sadly will not be put back together and passed.

Comment by Chicago Cynic Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:18 pm
There will be no budget until Rauner says so. He’s not ready yet. Rauner needs a budget to get reelected. He doesn’t come before voters until November 2018. There’s still more time to squeeze the beast.

Comment by The Dude Abides Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:23 pm
The Democrats should vote it through and let Rauner veto it…then vote it through again..and make him veto it again….and do that daily,or weekly…or whatever….make Rauner veto the bill regularly to remind the voters it is him causing the problem.

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:29 pm
I only caught the end of the debate on SB 11, but I thought I heard Cullerton say this bill was part of the grand bargain because pension reform was something the Gov demanded be included, so he brought it forward even at the resistance of members of his own party.

If I did in fact, hear him correctly, I don’t understand how Radogno can claim she “wasn’t ready.” If the Repub’s are ready to take the hard votes now, they’re never going to be.

Comment by Cardsfan Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:33 pm
Just like the Wizard of Oz, you can’t give somebody brains, heart or courage. The GOP belong to Rauner. He can blame Madigan but he wears the jacket for this. I can see the commercials for this.

Comment by Trapped in the 'burbs Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:44 pm
On a technical issue, I still don’t understand how tying rhe bills together is legal.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 5:48 pm
Good question LBM. I assume they need separate bills/votes to get around single subject matter. Not sure how courts might rule on how these are linked, but I assume somebody has checked with some lawyers.

Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 6:00 pm
Pension Reform and Independent Maps failure makes me doubt the quality of their legal advice.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 6:09 pm
=== squeeze-the-beast is the objective ===

This is the goal, isn’t it? Create a crisis - no budget, need ’structural reforms to grow the economy,’ and then crash it all, sell off or privatize the pieces, just as he does in the world of venture capitalism. Its what he knows how to do. Never ran a business, meeting payroll for the long haul, planning for the future. NOpe. Break it into pieces, sell it off. Gov didn’t want this thing to pass. He wants crisis.

Comment by Jack Jackson Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 6:16 pm
I am with Wordslinger and, on tactics, Anonymous 5:29

Comment by Archiesmom Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 6:27 pm
Replican senators tried to throw taxpayers under the bus with a punishing tax increase, and Gov. Rauner stopped them. Thank you Bruce!

Comment by David Sinclair Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 6:49 pm
Not coming together.

With the state in a shambles , Rauner and Radogno will pretend it’s all someone else’s fault.

Problem is - it is their fault. Anyone observing with clear eyes can see it.

Now there will be extraordinary pressure for Rauner to offer a real budget on Feb. 15. Not just the dodge that he presented last year.

Comment by Oh, Please! Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 7:02 pm
it’s over

Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 7:15 pm
No bi-partisan bill can pass without the governor’s support. Radogno and Durkin simply can’t put votes on a structured roll call. They do not lead their respective caucuses, Rauner does.

Comment by Telly Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 7:22 pm
The buck stops here Governor Rauner.

Comment by Bluecollargal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 7:42 pm
I have to believe it isn’t over, because the alternative is too horrible to imagine.

Why can’t these clowns just fix this? C’mon, guys.

Comment by Just Me Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 8:06 pm
Fresh out of big boy pants in Springfield.

Comment by Just Fred Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 8:07 pm
It was clearly over yesterday when Profft demanded that the Leader be “removed from the ubattlefield”.

Comment by northsider (the original) Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 8:23 pm
There was genuine frustration on both sides today. I don’t think all hope is lost, but today was a rough day. I know both those are understatements…

Comment by A Modest Proposal Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 8:39 pm
It will get back on track but I haven’t seen this many present votes in the IL Senate since Obama.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Wednesday, Feb 8, 17 @ 9:00 pm
Todays’republican party… feign cooperation, inpede progress. Time for the blame Madigan crew. Now enters Rauner $.

Comment by Generic Drone Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 1:12 am
I was never hopeful that Radogno had the will or ability to operate independently of Rauner. Do you smell a sham? There’s definitely sham in the air.

Comment by Dome Gnome Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 3:45 am
i think an actual government shutdown is necessary.

Cullerton needs to tell Radogno that a stand-alone appropriation for personnel is something he will never support.

Everyone in Illinois is in on the Titanic together, and we won’t be shipping off the clout-heavy passengers in life boats while the college students, seniors, disabled, and crime victims are left to drown in the lower decks.

Say it like that, John Patterson.

Reiterate it, every day, just so they know you are serious.

Comment by Free Set of Steak Knives Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 6:59 am
===we won’t be shipping off the clout-heavy passengers in life boats===

I don’t think that there’s a whole lot of clout possessed by state employees, at least not these days. An appropriation to pay them is more about keeping the services people don’t know they’d miss till they’re gone functioning than it is about the clout they possess.

Comment by Anon Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 8:39 am
The bills are only tied together as a handshake agreement. They must be voted on separately. In the past, each leader has agreed to deliver a certain number of votes to each bill.

This looks like the Gov put Radogno out on a limb and then began sawing. At some point, the Republicans may jump ship, but who knows when that will be. Some of the Republicans are more closely tied to the Gov than others. The Gov is going to try to keep them all in line because if these bills start to pass, he will be the one on a limb.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 8:54 am
==What would it have hurt to give Radogno one more week?==

That’s another week of IPI and the Chamber whipping votes against it.

==why put the hardest one to pass (pension reform) at the from top the line before Leader Radogno was expecting it?==

Because it was the one that Rauner was most clearly on board with.

Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 8:55 am
==why put the hardest one to pass (pension reform) at the from top the line before Leader Radogno was expecting it?==

LP, you’re a laugh riot.

Multiple times a day, every day, for months, you’ve been moaning (falsely) about how this pension bill was part of an agreement with Gov. Rauner that was reneged on.

Now you’re moaning when it gets a vote, that the governor’s mushrooms weren’t ready for it.

I’m starting to question your sincerity.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 9:07 am
@Arsenal Thursday 8:55 am

“That’s another week of IPI & the Chamber whipping votes against it.”

I see it as a cost-benefit situation.

Radogno–who is your partner in this deal–tells you she needs one more week to get her caucus on board. You give her that week because the benefit would be a bipartisan bill–ie the best case scenario.

Yes, the IPI & the Chamber are going to continue to whip during that week. But that doesn’t matter unless you think you can pick off enough GOP Senators without Radogno to give you that bipartisan bill. I don’t think anyone is claiming that Cullerton can do that. At the end of the week you’d just get the same result as you did yesterday–ie a bill down party lines.

So basically, waiting the week essentially costs you nothing, but it could pay off in a bipartisan bill. However, not waiting the week potentially costs you much needed trust and nets you a vote down party lines.

That’s why I think there must be something that isn’t as evident as the ongoing IPI & Chamber that pushed Cullerton to move against Radogno’s wishes yesterday. A hidden cost-benefit equation as it were. Or I guess he could have just been frustrated. I’ll definitely never know.

Comment by Chicago_Downstater Thursday, Feb 9, 17 @ 12:20 pm