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Question of the day

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Illinois

I’ll ask this again as we go along, but what do you think are the odds that the spring session ends on schedule this May?

Also, let’s please keep it clean in comments (and not just on this post, either). I love having comments, and I enjoy reading them, but a small number of people are this/close to ruining it for everyone. You know who you are and you know what I mean. Thanks.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Mar 17, 05 @ 8:26 am

Comments

To me, it is all about leverage. Both parties can use it to some degree. It seems the animosity can develop from one single issue and the snowball effect is one party doing what they can derail a timely session. Finger pointing ensues, etc…you know the rest. To the question, I believe that session WILL go overtime. How much over (is that part of the question)? End of June. I do not believe they will get into the headache of passing bills to appropriate money for a month at a time (FY06 begins July 1). There are some very contentious issues this session (gambling expansion, gun control, and of course the budget and who gets what piece of the pie). And with elections around the corner, look for each party to try and target seats/Reps’ votes on particular issues.

Happy St. Pats Day!

Comment by Bo Thursday, Mar 17, 05 @ 9:13 am
It depends on who is the Blago “Enemey of the Week”.

Maybe him and Tusk are thinking up a new one, someone who cant fight back cause thats the kind they like the most.

So be it the Board of Ed, the Legislature or perhaps kindly ederly war widows we will have an overtime session.

Just think of all the overtime money Rod will blow this year, and how much good it could do rather than being wasted.

Rod claims to be such a historian maybe he has heard the phrase “You cant fool all the people all the time.”

Illinoisans will rember in November ( Hopefully in March too)

Comment by PrairieStateDem Thursday, Mar 17, 05 @ 11:03 am
Overtime, again this year. No doubt in my mind. Jones and Madigan don’t agree on how to address it and what the priorities are, and this year, the legislature really hasn’t even started talking budget. Late June at best.

I’d like to think something magical will happen, but we’re in Illinois and we have no pixie dust to spread around Springpatch.

Comment by Tessa Thursday, Mar 17, 05 @ 7:31 pm
Aug. unless chicago get its casino sooner. Bag-O-Cash-avich filled the gaming board today, that should tell us something.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Mar 17, 05 @ 9:49 pm
there is no way they finish on time. overtime brings the republicans in and everything goes to hell. you’d think that the repubs would be the ones supporting the pension reform because its whats best for the state. however, they know that there is a high percentage of state employees in their districts and they fear their voter backlash. they need a copy of profiles in courage.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Mar 18, 05 @ 7:36 pm
At some point in May, the Gov, Speaker, and Senate Prez will have to decide if they want the Republicans involved in the budget deal. If they decide they don’t, they’ll come to the best accommodation of each other they can in two weeks and ram something through. I’d give that scenario at least a 25% chance of occurring. A couple of Republicans are secretly praying for that to happen so that they don’t have to put any votes on the final deal, which is likely to be ugly no matter how you slice it.

Comment by Anonymous Saturday, Mar 19, 05 @ 6:17 am