From today’s Illinois Observer.

Tony

 

Extra: Madigan Fires Back at Rauner over Budget

by IO News Staff

(Chicago) – House Speaker Michael J. Madigan on Friday announced the creation of a
new budget oversight panel to “closely examine” Gov. Bruce Rauner’s recent budget
decisions.
“Governor Rauner has talked about cutting non-essential state spending for a number of
months,” said Madigan in a statement released today. “In light of recent budget actions,
and as we prepare to craft the next state budget, it’s important to have an in-depth
discussion about what the governor believes is non-essential.”

Madigan says that the Illinois budget must protect the state’s “most vulnerable” citizens.
“While I believe that a budget solution should include a balance of spending cuts and
additional revenue, as a state it’s also our duty to protect our most vulnerable citizens,
including children with autism, persons with developmental disabilities and lower-income
women in need of breast cancer screenings,” the speaker stated.

Madigan said the budget review panel will be led by House Majority Leader Barbara
Flynn Currie (D-Chicago) and Assistant Majority Leader John Bradley (D-Marion) and
include the chairmen of the five House appropriations committees.

Madigan has invited House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to name GOP members to
the panel.

Currie says Rauner’s “magic money” can’t balance budget.

“The Legislature has a monumental task ahead in crafting a responsible and realistic
budget, and it’s imperative we have a clear understanding of the governor’s methods
and his math,” Currie said. “For instance, in his budget proposal for the next fiscal year,
the governor is claiming more than $2 billion in pension savings from a bill that has not
even been debated, let alone passed into law, and $700 million in health care savings
that has been neither debated nor approved. We can’t draft a budget with magic money
that does not exist.”

Madigan wants Rauner to explain how his budget plan addresses House Democratic
priorities.

“As we work through the budget plan for the next fiscal year, House Democrats are
committed to protecting middle-class families and our most vulnerable citizens,
protecting funding for schools, and creating jobs and rebuilding our roads, bridges
and mass transit through a new infrastructure program,” Madigan said. “The budget
we support will reflect those values and I’m optimistic the governor will show us how
his plan accomplishes that.”

During remarks at the House’s inauguration in January, Madigan cited the state’s
finances as the most important issue facing Illinois and said that it will require
bipartisan cooperation with Rauner and Republicans lawmakers.

“As I have pledged since he was elected, I plan to work with Governor Rauner
professionally and cooperatively,” Madigan said. “That’s why I worked with the
governor to address the current fiscal year’s budget. Now that decisions continue
being made that impact a number of residents and families throughout the state, it’s
important that the governor fully disclose how he reached those decisions.”

The budget review panel will hold its first meeting at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 21 in
Room 114 of the Capitol.

newsdesk@illinoisobserver.net


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@thearcofil.org