Governor-elect Bruce Rauner said Friday that he doesn’t want the General
Assembly addressing major issues, including taking any action on possibly
extending the temporary income tax increase, until he takes office next year.
During a stop in Springfield on Friday as part of a statewide victory fly-around,
Rauner said lame-duck lawmakers shouldn’t be tackling major issues.
“I’ve asked that they not take up any major legislation during the lame-duck
session of any type,” Rauner said. “I don’t think it’s fair to the people of Illinois
that they make decisions with people who are on their way out of office, the
governor or members of the General Assembly. They should leave major
things for when the new General Assembly is seated.”
Rauner will be sworn into office Jan. 12. A new General Assembly will be
seated Jan. 14.
The temporary state income tax increase is scheduled to start rolling back
Jan. 1. When it does, the state will lose about $2.1 billion in income tax
revenue this budget year and about $4.8 billion next year when the rollback is
in effect for a full fiscal year.
Rauner told The State Journal-Register editorial board last month that the
state budget is a “fiasco” and that short-term steps would be needed to
address it. He would not specify what those steps would be.
While calling a continuation of the current tax rates an increase if the rollback
isn’t allowed to take place, Rauner has also hedged on whether the tax hike
should be phased out on a more gradual schedule. He has pledged that rates
would return to their pre-tax hike levels in four years if he was elected.
In a story from Crain’s Chicago Business on Friday, former Gov. James
Thompson said Rauner needed to take action on the tax issue quickly. Former
Gov. Jim Edgar also raised the specter that some state agencies could run out
of money before the end of the current fiscal year June 30 based on the budget
lawmakers approved last spring.
“I don’t know all of the numbers, so I can’t tell you the exact dates,” Edgar told
reporters Friday while attending Rauner’s event. “But I don’t see a major tax
overhaul probably being accomplished until the later part of the session, which is
when a lot of things are going to come together.”
Rauner has said one of his goals is an overhaul of the state’s tax system.
Before a crowd of supporters, Rauner repeated a new theme of his
administration that Illinois should be both compassionate and competitive.
“We need to take care of our most vulnerable citizens, our veterans, our low-
income kids, our elderly folks, our folks who have developmental disabilities,” he
said. “That’s what great societies do.
“We need to be pro-business, pro-growth, pro-job creation by making us highly
competitive on our tax rates, on our regulations so we can have a booming
economy,” he said.
Rauner also threw some red meat at the Springfield crowd.
“Diane and I are honored to make Springfield our new home,” Rauner said
about his promise to live in the Executive Mansion. “We want the government
headquartered here.”
Rauner has pledged that he will bring state jobs to Springfield.
During the campaign, Rauner vilified House Speaker Michael Madigan,
D-Chicago and Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, for being a big
part of the problem that has brought on a lot of the state’s problems. Rauner
said he will be able to work with the leaders.
“I’m not going to compromise my positions or my values at the core, but
we’re going to need to be creative and flexible and work together as a team,”
Rauner said. “There’s a big difference campaigning and governing.”
Contact Doug Finke: doug.finke@sj-r.com, 788-1527, twitter.com/dougfinkesjr.
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@www.thearcofil.org
