As Illinois nears the end of its seventh month without a budget, Gov. Bruce Rauner focused on the need for bipartisan cooperation while pushing for changes that he says the state needs to become economically competitive during his State of the State address Wednesday morning.
Speaking to reporters after his speech, Cullerton said he and Rauner had spoken Monday morning and smoothed out their differences on pension reform legislation, and that bill is now being drafted.
"Evanston receives smaller grants from the state government, which may fall through with the budget impasse", Lyons said. Democrats, however, largely heard more of the same from the first-term Republican, who has insisted on passing portions of his policy agenda before agreeing to raise taxes to balance the budget. The organization says the services are delivered through the state-mandated Comprehensive Community-Based Youth Services (CCBYS) program, "which has been operating without payment since July 1".
Proponents of more tax increases think that stealing $3 billion, $4 billion or more from hard-working families is the solution.
CORLEY: Gov. Rauner says he won't support a financial plan that includes a tax increase championed by Democrats to help fill a massive budget gap.
Rauner says his proposed changes, which he didn't detail, could save IL $500 million annually.
Rauner's address received a mixed reaction from metro-east lawmakers. She works for Voices for Illinois Children and as a spokesperson for a coalition of service providers, many struggling to survive without state funds. The reality that we've seen is that this boldness is only translating into uncertainty for job creators and into pain for those whose health, housing, child care, education and livelihoods are at stake.
The Republican governor pushed in his State of the State speech Wednesday for numerous same pro-business ideas he's been stressing for the past year.
"If things don't change, and with the deficit spending that's happening because of the funding in IL we will have to look at cuts in the future", said Vandewiele. We have to create a situation that fosters business and people moving back into IL. "This platform of bold reforms is how we can finally overcome a decade of mismanagement that ran our state into the ground".
Chris Mooney, director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of IL, said Rauner has amped up his rhetoric since the start of the year.
But there is no indication Democratic leaders will respond to him positively. Haine added "I'd like to see more of that and more of a specific approach to the differences that we have rather then general statements".
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I also appreciate the time the governor has taken to better understand our model for what we hope would be constitutional pension reform.
State Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, said that the lack of a budget shouldn't obscure the progress that has been made.
"We have the second-highest property taxes in the country". Rauner has spent months berating Democrats for failing to get on board.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs - sloughed off the criticism.
In Pennsylvania, where months-long deadlock resulted in an interim budget just last month, students at many schools are expecting less than promised because of cuts.
Victor McWilliams came all the way from Chicago to give the state government a piece of his mind.
Rauner established a commission in 2015 to find a way to reduce the state's prison population by 25 percent by 2025.
Roughly one year ago, Gov. Bruce Rauner stood before lawmakers and unveiled his so-called "turnaround agenda". They're here to hand Rauner their version of the State of the State.
Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery ripped Rauner's plan as "so-called education reforms" that won't improve teaching or student success and said the governor has failed on his top responsibility - the budget.
"That's what it's going to take to undo this logjam", he said. Chicagoan Rosalina Chavez says she and her 12-year-old son James relied on the Teen Reach program at Burroughs Elementary, until it was shuttered last year. Cullerton acknowledged that members of the State legislature might be reluctant to support the legislation if the other key components of a state budget were not passed.
Griffin out with broken hand following altercation
Though they led by double digits early on, Los Angeles gave up too many points to the Toronto bench and ended up falling 112-94. "A situation among friends escalated and I regret the way I handled myself toward someone I care about", Griffin tweeted out.
