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* As I told subscribers a while ago, Speaker Madigan has been carefully creating a paper trail so that he can justify ending the spring session with a splat. And here it is all in one spot…
Speaker Madigan: House Democrats to Continue Working to Find Common Ground with Rauner and toward State Budget
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement:
“There is no more urgent matter facing the state than the passage of a comprehensive, balanced budget, and House Democrats will continue our efforts to address this challenge, end this destructive impasse and close the Rauner budget deficit. The House Democratic Budget Working Group led by Representative Greg Harris will hold public hearings and continue working in June to prepare a budget for the coming fiscal year. The first hearing will be held on June 8 in Chicago.
“The governor’s reckless strategy of holding the budget hostage to create leverage for his corporate agenda that pads the profits of large corporations and insurance companies has for the third year left Illinois without a budget at the end of the May legislative session. He has put our schools at risk of being unable to open, denied care to victims of domestic violence, kept tens of thousands of seniors from receiving Meals on Wheels, and tripled Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills. This cannot continue.
“Where we can compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, House Democrats have consistently advanced measures that address the governor’s requests so we can get down to the work of passing a balanced budget. House Democrats have:
· Voted to provide property tax relief to homeowners;
· Put forward reforms to the workers’ compensation system that will ensure employers see the savings from reform;
· Introduced an agenda of economic reforms that make Illinois a better place to do business while also lifting up middle-class families, not tearing them down;
· Voted at the governor’s request to streamline the state procurement process;
· Voted to sell the Thompson Center.“I have directed members of the House Democratic leadership team to meet with the governor and seek common ground on his other proposals. To date, the governor has refused to meet.
“We remain ready to work with the governor and find common ground whenever he is ready to return to the table and work in good faith.”
*** UPDATE 1 *** Another one…
Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Wednesday after the House voted to pass House Bill 2525, a package of workers’ compensation reforms addressing a key element of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda:
“House Democrats have consistently stated that we will work with the governor to reach compromise, but we will not hurt middle-class families. Throughout his tenure, Governor Rauner has made it clear that changes to the workers’ compensation system are a pre-condition to his cooperation on a state budget. While the governor’s plan does not have the support of majorities in the Legislature, we can still find common ground on this issue.
“The bill passed today will help ensure Illinois businesses see the benefits of reform by requiring insurance companies to pass savings on to local employers. It takes steps to crack down on fraud and abuse, and includes additional measures to reduce costs without jeopardizing the health or economic security of workers. We believe this compromise meets the governor’s stated goal of reducing workers’ compensation costs for businesses, and Democrats’ goal of protecting working people and their families.
“As House Democrats work to address the governor’s pre-conditions to a budget, we remain steadfast in our belief that the budget is the most important issue facing families, seniors, children, and businesses. We ask the governor to stop holding the state budget hostage and join us in working in good faith to end this destructive impasse.”
*** UPDATE 2*** And another one…
– Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Wednesday after the House voted to pass Senate Bill 3, allowing taxpayers to consolidate duplicative and unnecessary units of local government and addressing another element of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s agenda:
“With today’s passage of a local government consolidation package negotiated by Governor Rauner, House Democrats have again advanced legislation directly addressing the governor’s pre-conditions to negotiating a budget.
“As a new fiscal year quickly approaches with no budget yet in place, the governor’s approach of refusing to negotiate a budget is setting our state on a course for a third straight year of impasse and destruction. It’s not too late for the governor to change course and come back to the table. If and when he does, he will find House Democrats waiting to negotiate and compromise.”
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 3:43 pm
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Until I see this in :30 ads and laying a social media groundwork and making it more that a Blue Room press release statement… I dunno what to say.
Rauner in the meantime has had multiple ads, robocalls, pop up Internet ads…
I get it, it is good to make a case… it’s being swamped… but it’s a case.
Comment by Oswego Willy Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:11 pm
When Rauner decided to run for governor, he spent riches preparing. Did he have any plans regarding working with MJM and the Democratic majority? How did Rauner expect to “shake up Illinois” with MJM holding the dominant political position? Did any of Rauner’s researcher have any plans beyond political campaign wins and conquering ILDEMS?
Then after he beats Quinn, but doesn’t win with coattails, what was Rauner’s plans then? Statewide, it was Rauner and Topinka, everything else deep Democratic blue.
Then when his RTW initiative ended up cannibalizing itself like the Donner Party, what did he think? What were his plans as the odd guy out?
Rauner’s entire political revolution had been as pathetic as New Coke and Zima. What was his Plan B dealing with Madigan?
Rauner only had his Government Siege plan. Starve everyone. Spend millions on attack ads. Insult incumbents. Buy GOP legislators. Walk away from governing duties. Walk away from compromises, bargaining tables and educational commitments. Wait Madigan out.
Why did Rauner run if he had no effective governing plan to unite government? Why did he not salvage his administration by changing tactics? Why did he repeatedly double down on losing strategies?
There was something wrong when this man became governor. Rauner made government worse. Worse beyond what his reforms could have saved. Worse than he found Illinois under Quinn, and even under Blagojevich.
Rauner forced GOP and conservative to end up supporting a political party we couldn’t wait to replace in 2015. His legacy has been showing us that there are worse things than duct tape broken government - HIM!
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:16 pm
By the dems not doing robo calls after the recent minimum wage hike vote further shows that there leadership is not trying to take a real fight to Rauner.
Idk but to me it seems as if the dems at the highest leadership want Rauner reelected. My reasons for this is the lack of a fight to Rauner and Cullerton making his party vote alone on a tax hike.
Comment by Real Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:20 pm
After all these accomplishments, how far are we in the hole?
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:21 pm
What OW said, about Democrats getting their tails kicked by Rauner’s PR machine.
There’s no reason for Rauner to not accept what Democrats are willing to give him, since the harm that’s being done while holding out for a better deal is far worse than taking a deal.
Take the two-year property tax freeze, term limits for legislative leaders, workers comp reform and the rest. The state is being wrecked, and it’s not worth the damage to hold out for the impossible–unless that’s the end game, to let the state bust and try to remake everything in the Rauner image. It’s the corporate vulture bust-out approach.
Comment by Grandson of Man Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:31 pm
Vanilla Man… all great points but let’s not forget how we got here to begin with. After the election, Rauner pleaded with MJM to not move ahead with making the temporary income tax permanent. I’m sure Speaker Madigan thought my pleasure because any moron will quickly see that the State needs more revenue and if the R’s want to own a part of the vote, all the better for the Dems.
In hindsight, a tactical error on MJM’s part given that he handed Rauner the largest bargaining chip he could (on a silver platter none the less).
Now the State is stuck in the middle of two very stubborn men and neither want to lose. It does not appear that either men have a plan B to bring this thing to an end.
Comment by Illinois Refugee Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:44 pm
Madigan trying to help the middle class, who is he kidding. He is destroying Illinois’ middle class!
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 4:51 pm
Total failure, Mister Speaker in that you did not even call the vote.
Comment by L Fkag Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 5:12 pm
I would cut Speaker Madigan some slack if the GA put in the hours and worked around the clock this session. Too many days off and days when the GA did not convene. As such, it looks as if he was not really trying (again).
Comment by Hobson's Choice Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 5:42 pm
This is the result of the rank and file being affraid of and controlled by their leadership and money. We have reached a new low in Illinois politics by allowing this debacle to continue. Embarrassing….House members need to vote their conscince if they still have one (without having to ask what it might be. Raise Taxes make some Cuts …campaign after doing the job.
Comment by NorthsideNoMore Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 5:50 pm
Rauner gets the reform bills passed by both the House and Senate. Say he vetoes them all while the House continues to work on the budget bill with the strategy of forcing Republicans to have to take votes to reach 3/5ths now just to get it to Rauner’s desk. I would bet that he still vetoes any budget bill anyway and tries for only K-12 funding AGAIN! So, no tax hike(s) to help right the ship, and Dems may have to vote on a lined itemed out budget to keep the schools open for the FY 18 year. I really hope Madigan has a magic trick to pull yet, because I just see Rauner winnin’ .
Comment by Anon221 Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 6:32 pm
They forgot to add SB104 Requires outrageous higher wages to be paid so when vendors bid deals they loose as they are forced to pay and charge way higher rates than non union jobs. SO out of state vendors win thins deals.
Economy should determine rates and costs not the neer ending mandated nonsense.
terrible bus climate,
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 6:54 pm
To updates 2 & 3 … Starting to call the Governor’s bluff. Let’s see what new demands / roadblocks Rauner comes up with now.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 6:59 pm
== How did Rauner expect to “shake up Illinois” with MJM holding the dominant political position? ==
I think Rauner expected to easily destroy the unions … and then the D party would have no base of support.
Comment by RNUG Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 7:03 pm
“I think Rauner expected to easily destroy the unions … and then the D party would have no base of support.”
Had Scalia not passed away he would have been able to do just that.
Comment by Captain Obious Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 8:16 pm
Madigan and Rauner are unmitigated disasters. I call upon all Illinoisans to vote Rauner out and all in Madigan’s district to vote him out. This has clearly become a thumb wrestle between the two of them.
Comment by IllinoisInsider Wednesday, May 31, 17 @ 9:31 pm