Today was the last day of the annual legislative session in the state capitol. It also happens to be the 700th day since Illinois last had a real budget.
Democrats – who hold a majority in both chambers of the General Assembly -- still aren’t saying whether they plan to do anything about that.
This is third year in which House Democrats have put themselves in this same position: going up to the end of session without a clear path on the budget.
For Democrats, political considerations are top of mind.
State Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, is sponsoring the House version of a tax plan approved last week in the Senate. He says he doesn’t think his fellow Democrats should vote on taxes that don't have enough support to pass.
“I think that walks us backwards,” he said, “and possibly gives the governor a lot of rhetoric to say about Democrats not being able to pass their own revenue package."
Some Democrats say it’ll be better to wait until June, when the constitution requires more votes to pass a spending plan. That, they say, could force both parties to come to terms.
State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, says that, even if Democrats do not pass a spending plan, it doesn’t mean they’re avoiding their responsibility.
“We have worked tirelessly for the last two and half years under Gov. Bruce Rauner to get a budget,” he said, “and we can’t do it on our own.”
Democrats say they’ve been trying to meet Rauner part way on what they call his "non-budget" agenda — like selling the Thompson Center in Chicago, streamlining government, and freezing property taxes.
Rauner’s spokepersons, however, have dismissed those efforts as “phony.”
