Illinois leaders aren't in agreement on a new state budget, even as the current one nears its July expiration date. Democrats passed their own version, but Gov. Bruce Rauner can't act on most of it yet, even if he wants to.
Just a few of the 20 budget bills which Democrats passed have made it to Rauner's desk, where he has the ability to sign them into law, reject them entirely, or cut down the levels of spending.
The rest are still on hold.
Senate President John Cullerton says Democrats withheld the rest "so [Gov. Rauner] just wouldn't abruptly veto the whole thing, at first. We want to make sure that he's had a chance to look at it, and reflect on it."
It's not like the hold prevents the governor from deciding what he'll do when the measures arrive. They're public; they're online. Rauner's team has had weeks to review the proposed budget.
Still, Republicans like Rep. Eddie Sullivan of Mundelein say they’ve had enough waiting.
"Send the governor your budget and let him act on it and see where we go from there," Sullivan said. "At least then we're moving forward. By at least putting a budget out there, and letting the governor -- whatever he chooses to do -- moves the ball forward to some degree. At this point we're all at a standstill while imaginary sides negotiate on imaginary issues, because nothing's really going on."
Democrats say the governor will get the budget bills by the end of the month. Their $36 billion proposal spends $4 billion more than the state is expected to take in.
The plan boosts funding for prisons and for elementary and high school but otherwise reduces most all other state agencies and programs by 2.25 percent.
Democrats say the solution to filling the budget gap is a combination of cuts and revenue increases like a tax hike. Rauner says he's willing to consider higher or new taxes but only if his pro-business, anti-union agenda advances.
Thus far, Rauner’s proposals to create local right-to-work zones and to freeze property taxes -- and some others -- have fallen short in the General Assembly.
