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.