Tabares Responds to Gov. Rauner’s Budget Address

House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Chicago Democrats, declined to support big budget powers for Rauner. “Submitting our differences to an independent third party can ensure working people are treated fairly and public services are not disrupted”. But without a budget plan it remains to be seen how he will make that happen.

“Democrats won’t support enough spending cuts to live within our current revenues, and you won’t vote to raise taxes to cover your deficit spending unless Republicans agree to support your tax hike”, he said. He’s in an awkward situation: The Budget Address is intended as a preview of the IL state budget for fiscal year 2017, which starts July 1.

He pointed to the fact the General Assembly shot down his budget with a proposed $6 billion in cuts.

Bobkiewicz said for the time being, Evanston’s budget is squared away, but he added that much about funding and grants remains unclear without a state budget.

Rauner also is expected to push to keep elementary and secondary education funding separate from the budget fight that has bogged down other areas of state spending.

“It’s about the future direction of Illinois”, Rauner said Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association in Springfield.

“Early childhood education isn’t the only key component helping children entering kindergarten to succeed”, Pieper said.

The showdown, now in its eighth month, has resulted in unpaid bills, shuttered state facilities and suspended services for the some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens.

Numerous sticking points in the Republican governor’s battle with the Democrats haven’t changed, including negotiating a new labor contract with the state employees’ union that would save $3 billion over three years.

“With my hand outstretched – with a genuine desire to compromise with respect – I humbly ask you to join me in transforming our state for the better”, Rauner told lawmakers.

“It is not a good idea to pass a budget for next year without a long-term careful structural planning to increase taxes and restrain spending”, said David Merriman, professor in public administration at University of IL at Chicago.

Clinton said Rauner’s pro-business, union-weakening agenda called for eliminating the payment of prevailing union wages on public works projects and would take away “hard-won rights to bargain collectively” with public workers. Rauner has pledged not to sign budget bills that fail to also change the state’s costly workers’ compensation program, prevent venue shopping by trial lawyers, and allow local collective bargaining.

Jacksonville’s political representation in the state capital reacts to yesterday’s budget speech by Republican Governor Bruce Rauner.

Hundreds turned out at the Illinois Capitol to hear Governor Bruce Rauner’s budget address.

CPS officials have said the district, which is mired in its own financial crisis, is a victim of unequal funding by the state.