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Will we get a budget next year?

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Illinois

“I believe the legislature will pass a responsible budget in 2018,” [Sen. Michael Hastings, D-Tinley Park] said. “But will the governor sign it? The governor is a little erratic these days.”

Uncertainty over funding is hurting enrollments, but Governors State University in University Park saw its number of applications quadruple this year after passage of the first full-year state budget since 2014, Hastings said.

Funding cuts for higher education, public transportation and other areas, along with an income tax hike, were needed to restore balance to the state’s finances, said state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago.

“We still have a rather large hole we have to climb out of,” Cunningham said. “I think next year’s budget will not be nearly as difficult as the last one … I don’t think the governor wants to be bogged down in Springfield when he’d rather be out campaigning.”

Your thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:25 am

Comments

Of course, but will it be balanced?

Comment by Ron Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:27 am
The legislature will pass a budget with or without the cooperation of the Governor. If he vetoes, they will wait until post November to proceed further. Rauner has a great deal less leverage than before, and he needs a budget much worse (operationally and politically) than individual legislators do.

Comment by toothlesstiger Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:29 am
“I believe the legislature will pass a responsible budget in 2018,”

Notice he didn’t say “balanced”.

Comment by City Zen Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:34 am
===“I think next year’s budget will not be nearly as difficult as the last one … I don’t think the governor wants to be bogged down in Springfield when he’d rather be out campaigning.”===

Senator.

Reapectfully, what would be different than the last three budgets? Rauner will be campaigning 24/7/365… budget issues or not… at least with attack ads… against “you” and Dems…

I’ve seen this movie before.

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:39 am
The real question is, “Will governor Rauner finally propose a balanced budget after proposing three unbalanced budgets?”

I suspect he will propose another comically unbalanced budget, and the dems will pass their own comically unbalanced budget, and we will end up with a somewhat unbalanced budget after a few House and Senate republicans are forced into a lesser-of-two-evils override vote.

Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:44 am
I have serious doubts that any FY19 budget will be enacted prior to the November election.

Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:45 am
I think -toothlesstiger- nailed it.

FY19 budget passed either late June or early July. If vetoed, then no action until mid-November.

Makes perfect sense for an election year, will, give D’s lots of campaign trail ammo for TV ads … not that they really need any more.

Comment by RNUG Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:45 am
==I’ve seen this movie before. == It’s in reruns.

Comment by tobor Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:45 am
What was it Rauner said in the bond docs? No guarantees of a budget this year or any year?

Really encourages you to have a lot of faith in the effort he’s putting into the FY 19 proposal he’s supposed to unveil in a couple months.

Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:46 am
The Guv is fightin’ for Illinois. He’s a tough guy in leather, ridin’ his Harley.

Tough guy fighters ain’t gonna negotiate, or compromise.

All he’s got is fightin’ with Madigan. That ain’t gonna stop. In fact, I think it will probably get worse.

Comment by Henry Francis Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:47 am
I can see the GA driving a real hard bargain, daring Rauner to veto it. But I can’t see them hiking taxes again, and absent that, I’m not sure it trips any redlines for Rauner.

Comment by Arsenal Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:48 am
Is there any beast left to squeeze?

Comment by Saluki Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:52 am
Agree with the other commenters on the timeline- override in November.

Rauner is more concerned with Janus than probably even campaigning, and certainly not missing a wink of sleep because of something like a state budget-

Rauner: …We are heading with that lawsuit to the US Supreme Court this September. Nothing to do with any of the budget. Nothing to do with any of the reform agenda in the legislature. We are going to be in front of the Supreme Court, and there is more than a 90% odds that we win that case.
Peter Robinson: That’ll change everything, the culture. Right?
Bruce Rauner: That will change the culture and the power structure in Illinois, but across America. When we win that case, every state government, every local government, and every school district in America will no longer be able to force a union membership of the person working for the tax payers doesn’t want to be. That’s transformative for Illinois and across America.

https://www.hoover.org/research/budget-crisis-land-lincoln

Comment by Anon221 Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 10:54 am
Hastings calling the budget responsible is a stretch, but I really don’t see the governor giving an inch and signing anything. He has refused to recognize the reality that most people disagree with his companies first, working class a distant second, poor/sick people never approach.

Comment by Perrid Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 11:33 am
The governor has pledged to push the tax rate back to 3 percent. If he does not introduce a budget based on that, he is conceding November.

I expect there are more than enough Republicans to pass a budget with a veto-proof majority.

And I expect Rauner to once again veto the budget.

But I do not expect an override vote until after the election.

Comment by Thomas Paine Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 11:36 am
History says no.

Comment by Precinct Captain Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 11:44 am
I’m with Thomas Paine on this. It’s hard to see the governor agreeing to a budget given his current messaging around the tax rollback. If anything his current comments will likely make him more strident.

Governing requires a budget (and unfortunately the tax hike that was finally agreed to earlier this year) but it complicates campaigning.

Expect Rauner to wear his veto pin as a badge of honor on his daily campaign vest.

Comment by Pundent Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 11:47 am
If the lame duck caucus coalesces, and chooses to exert themselves, they could drive the budget bus. For the better. David Harris for caucus chair.

Comment by Langhorne Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 12:21 pm
I’m guessing the governor vetoes a budget and then gets overridden again — only it will happen much quicker. It will be a lot easier for Republican members to abandon him next year, particularly after the primary.

Comment by Roman Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 1:13 pm
I don’t think there is any way we have a budget next year. The Governor certainly isn’t going to negotiate with the General Assembly on a budget. And the Governor can’t sign a budget passed by the General Assembly. If the General Assembly passes a budget the Governor will veto it and if he does that I don’t see why the General Assembly would vote to override. They would just hang the albatross of the second round of no budget chaos around the Governor’s neck.

Comment by Demoralized Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 2:37 pm
Pretty much agree with others. Let it stew til November, then give the new Gov an override budget.

Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Dec 1, 17 @ 3:41 pm