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* The tone completely changed on the House floor last night after the leaders and the governor finally came to an agreement. Illinois Public Radio…
Democratic state Rep. Will Davis, from Homewood: “We know that as we continue to work collaboratively — if that is what we indeed want to do — when we work collaboratively, there are a lot of things that we can indeed get done.”
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin echoed those remarks.
“It’s amazing what we can do around in just a few hours if people are willing to work together, and we just started doing that,” Durkin told his colleagues. “So I feel we’re on a good path, and I’m pleased to put my vote on the board tonight, and let’s get our work done by tomorrow.”
* More on the budget…
Action on the budget came after hours of negotiations with Pritzker and the four partisan leaders of the House and Senate. Republicans, though a minority party in the legislature, sought concessions from Pritzker aimed at helping the business community in future legislation.
“I am very glad these matters are being taken into consideration,” said House Republican leader Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs, citing several business credits and tax incentives in the plan. “Tonight is the start of us finishing up this year working on a budget that is balanced and fair to Illinoisans.”
State Rep. Greg Harris, the Chicago legislator who headed up budget talks for majority House Democrats, said the plan also allows for borrowing $1.2 billion to help pay down a multibillion-dollar backlog of overdue bills to providers of state services that grew exponentially during the budget impasse.
* And progress was evident after both chambers approved the state’s operating budget…
The Illinois Senate made the first move to get a $45-billion infrastructure plan approved early Saturday morning. Senators approved billions of dollars in bonding authorization for some capital projects, as well as paying down backlogged bills.
It also ok-ed billions of dollars in a long list of projects — from development near Soldier Field in Chicago to new libraries and updated residence halls at universities to overhauled water infrastructure in cities across the state.
* Finke…
At one point Friday, it appeared that partisan acrimony could threaten to derail things like a gambling expansion bill and a capital plan, major components of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s first legislative session.
However, a series of meetings Friday night between Pritzker and various legislative leaders led to a thaw in tensions. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs left a meeting with the governor, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, saying he believes the Democrats are willing to consider some pro-business issues.
“Our caucus for the past few weeks has been very insistent that if we are going to participate there have to be some meaningful business reforms,” Durkin said. “I finally get the impression tonight that the governor and Democrat leaders are going to take those under consideration.”
Several business leaders sent a letter to Pritzker earlier this week outlining changes they want to see on business issues. They want tax incentives to locate data centers in the state, elimination of the state franchise tax, reinstatement of a tax credit to help manufacturers and no further action on a pro-labor bill affecting jobs at refineries, ethanol plans and chemical facilities.
* More niceties…
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said a bipartisan agreement was reached to get some Republicans to support the $40.3 billion spending plan. The agreement includes finding some reforms to grow the economy “that we think will strike the right balance and be a fair compromise to be a stable budget of the state, one that addresses the pressures that we face while also addressing some important policies that help us grow our economy.”
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said there’s a willingness for bipartisanship, but only when each side’s priorities are recognized. Durkin laid out Republicans’ priorities.
“Things that we think are important for the business community,” Durkin said. “By enhancing our ability to local data centers in Illinois with tax incentives, eliminating the retailers discount which we’ve talked about before, eliminating the antiquated Illinois franchise tax, reinstating a manufacturer’s purchase credit, enacting a blue collar jobs act and others.”
“That strikes the right balance of what we need in this state,” Durkin said.
Durking heaped praise on Demmer later for being a key player in putting this together.
* Not everything is rainbows and ponies, however…
And during a House Executive Committee, lawmakers cleared a gambling proposal that would add six casinos in Chicago, Waukegan, the south suburbs, Williamson County in southern Illinois, Rockford in northern Illinois and Danville in the state’s east-central region.
The Chicago casino would be able to have up to 4,000 gambling positions — three times more than any other casino in the state currently has — and slot machines would be allowed at O’Hare and Midway airports. Bill sponsor State Rep. Bob Rita said money from the proposed Chicago casino would be split in thirds among the city, state and the private owner.
But Lightfoot issued a statement saying that while she wants a Chicago casino, she doesn’t support sports wagering at place like Soldier Field.
I’m still not sure how they’re going to deal with Lightfoot’s late demand.
posted by Rich Miller
Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 10:42 am
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In regards to the budgets, lot of heavy lifting by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, and a governor willing to bring them all together to forge a compromise.
Dems and Pritzker didn’t use their superior numbers to stick it to the GOP, and a number of GOP members stood up and made tough votes.
Well done.
Gee, I wonder what the source of malignant dysfunction was the last four years? Anyone missing those good ol’ days?
Comment by wordslinger Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 10:51 am
===I’m still not sure how they’re going to deal with Lightfoot’s late demand.====
I get her resistance to the venues having sports betting but two are owned by goverment agencies and it’s not like this wasn’t in previous versions.
Comment by Been There Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 10:57 am
It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you have a governor who wants to get things done and a minority party that isn’t held hostage by a phony g-droppin’, billionaire ideologue.
Comment by Mittuns Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:02 am
It won’t matter in two years as everyone would be able to do it online. So if she is willing to risk Chicago a casino for that amount of of time so be it! She would cost her city millions each year!
Comment by Retired Educator d Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:11 am
A thought on reclaiming a few $$ for state revenue vis a vis infrastructure:
Kill the current Rt 53 Expansion “Environmental Impact Study”. Not sure how much of the $25M has already been spent, but of what remains, now ain’t the time to spend it.
Sell off all state-owned land feasible for residential/commercial zoning that has sat vacant for years. Developers would scoop that up in a heartbeat, and at a premium.
Take a reasonably small portion of monies recaptured from the above, and allocate it toward expansion of Pace bussing into that region. Ensure bus routes that would stop at nearby Metra Train Stations, schools, major commercial developments.
If real things are getting done right now in Springfield, then this seems like the time to take action on repurposing all this goofiness around Rt 53. With as much data in front of me as one could find using the Google, I’d wager there’s at least $50M to be applied toward much more urgent statewide capital improvements from this relatively innocuous strategy alone.
Comment by It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:22 am
It’s amazing how great it is to have a functioning state government again, but I’m betting all of this is going to lead to a bunch of republican primary challenges. The eastern bloc gomers and their trump-worshipping voters are going to flip out at all this bipartisanship. With Rauner off to Italy, don’t be surprised if the Uihliens of the world decide that the problem is elected republicans in the house and senate aren’t conservative enough.
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:31 am
Route 53 is the tollway. I would rather see some more improvement to workers comp than data centers.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:48 am
Slots at the airport is a waste. Due to federal law all money raised at an airport must be spent at the airport.
Comment by Just Me 2 Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 11:50 am
The Tollway has enough money that they could build IL 53 expansion without a local or Capital contribution. I don’t much care if they do it or not (I don’t live in the area and would seldom use it) but it shouldn’t cost statewide taxpayers if they proceed. Also, Pace provides a valuable service, but I have seen enough empty Pace buses tooling around the outer suburbs to know that an expansion of 53 (with Pace buses being able to access it for free) would provide more regional benefits than simply expanding a service that would provide marginal additional benefits.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 12:21 pm
It’s up to Lake County. On to 2050 out 53 and the Illiana as potential projects along with …The Crosstown. All would be Tollways. My understanding is the tollway doesn’t think they are financially viable yet. They have most of the 53 ROW so I hope they keep that. Crosstown still has the original ROW along the railway. I don’t know about Illiana . Prairie Parkway was fully cancelled.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 12:26 pm
You know what I haven’t heard in some time?
Because of Madigan.
Comment by Henry Francis Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 12:45 pm
===You know what I haven’t heard in some time?===
I said it this morning to a pal. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Saturday, Jun 1, 19 @ 3:37 pm