© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
WNIJ's summary of news items around our state.

Governor Says It Could Be Five Months Before A Budget Passes

Brian Mackey

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner says it may be another five months before the state has a budget.

Rauner recently addressed a crowd of manufacturers eating lunch in a downtown Chicago hotel.

“I am the most persistent rascal on the planet,” Rauner said. “I do not back down; I do not give up.”

But Democrats also have been persistent. They won’t agree to any of the business-centered reforms Rauner’s pushed.

As a result, Rauner says the stalemate will continue.

“It looks now most likely January to April,” Rauner said. “‘Kay? Persistence. Persistence. Stay strong.”

Rauner says two things change in 2016: It will take fewer lawmakers to approve a budget, and the threat of layoffs at Chicago Public Schools during the school year could be a pressure point for getting a deal done.

Related Stories