By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News
(CHICAGO) As Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield today to try and solve the budget crisis, the head of the House Republicans is calling on Democrats to pressure the House Speaker Michael Madigan to compromise with Republicans to try and reach a budget deal.
Representative Jim Durkin told “The Big John and Ramblin’ Ray Show” that during the just-concluded spring legislative session, Madigan has been absent from nearly all of the budget talks.
“He’s only been seen on the floor two times this year. Two times. I’m not sure what’s going on back there but he’s not communicating with the administration nor with myself. His members should be concerned about that. I talked to the President of the Senate. I see him, I talk to him, I talk the Republican leader, to the Governor, but getting an audience with the Speaker seems to be a very daunting challenge.”
When asked what could be Madigan’s main pressure point, Durkin told WLS the Speaker will be forced to take the blame if Chicago schools are not able to open on time this fall.
“I will say that schools are probably going to be the biggest pressure point. I don’t want to get there. I don’t want to have the schoolchildren of Illinois to be placed in that situation. His members know that. If we don’t pass a budget by the end of the (fiscal) year we don’t have an appropriation, we don’t have the authority to spend money and you have a state aid payment due sometime at the end of July. That right there is the greatest of pressure points. But we don’t need to do that when we’re down here for ten days to get this darn thing over with.”
Illinois already has $15 billion in overdue bills and the lowest credit rating of any state, and some ratings agencies have warned they will downgrade the rating to “junk” if there’s no budget before the next fiscal year begins July 1.
Last week Rauner announced he was calling lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session, after the Legislature adjourned May 31 without approving a state spending plan – the third straight year lawmakers have been unable to agree on a budget. Legislators are due at the Capitol on Wednesday, and Rauner said the session will continue through June 30 or until the two sides have a deal.
Lawmakers from both parties have acknowledged Illinois needs to raise taxes to make up for revenue lost when a previous tax hike expired, leaving the state on pace to take in $6 billion less than it is spending this year – even without a budget.
Rauner, a former businessman who is seeking a second term in 2018, wants Democrats to approve changes he says are needed to improve Illinois’ long-term financial health before he’ll support a tax increase. Among them are term limits for lawmakers, a four-year property tax freeze and new workers’ compensation laws that would reduce costs for employers.
Democrats say they’re willing to approve some items on Rauner’s list, but that what he’s demanding keeps changing or goes too far and would hurt working families. State Senate Democrats approved a $37 billion budget with $3 billion in cuts and an income tax increase in May. The House has not taken up that plan.
@ 2017 WLS-AM News (The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
