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Springfield Reporter: It Really Is Different This Time

WUIS/Illinois Issues

It seems familiar: Illinois government enters a new fiscal year without a budget, and those who get state money start to worry. But the government never stopped running before, so why would it shut down this time?

After all, things worked out in 2007 when then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich couldn't agree with fellow Democrats who controlled the General Assembly. Budget negotiations took until mid-September, but state government remained open.

If you're an old-timer, you might remember the budget battle of 1991, when Republican Gov. Jim Edgar fought with another old-timer, Democratic House Speaker Mike Madigan.

"In 1991, the General Assembly passed a one month budget," says Amanda Vinicky, statehouse bureau chief for Illinois Public Radio. "So we weren't experiencing the talk of this sort of shut down that we're hearing about right now."

Vinicky has covered state politics for about a decade. She remembers talk of a shutdown in 2007 until a court ordered the state to continue paying its workers -- something current Gov. Bruce Rauner insists is a precedent for paying workers this time around. But Vinicky says 2007 was a special case: The state wasn't ready to comply with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which said certain rank-and-file employees must be paid the minimum wage, budget or no budget.

"But that's not the same now, because agencies should be prepared," says Vinicky. "They've given ample warning to figure out who would meet those requirements and who wouldn't. So there are a bunch of ways that, when you look at it, the situation isn't quite analogous."

This argument was made by Attorney General Lisa Madigan this week.

Credit McHenrycountyblog.com
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich (L) with House Speaker Mike Madigan.

There are other differences this time, according to Vinicky. Gov. Rauner, a Republican, is a billionaire who gave lots of money to the state party and political action committees. Most of that money was aimed at Democrats, but that could change.

"There's a lot of thought that the money could be directed at Republican lawmakers who don't stick with him," Vinicky says. "Maybe a primary candidate next year."

Gov. Rauner and Democratic leaders remain far apart. Last week, Rauner vetoed most of the spending plan Democrats passed, claiming it's out of balance by as much as $4 billion. According to Vinicky, Democrats have just enough votes to override the veto and make their budget law. But she says they probably won't do that right away. She explains why in her interview with WNIJ, which you can hear by clicking the audio link at the top of this article.

Credit www.lib.niu.edu
House Speaker Mike Madigan (L) with Gov. Jim Edgar.

So without a resolution, a government shutdown isn't out of the question, according to Vinicky. She notes many of Rauner's top staffers come from Washington, D.C., where -- as she puts it --  government shutdowns are de rigueur.

Amanda Vinicky is a regular contributor to WNIJ newscasts during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Next week, she'll discuss the possibility of a first-ever Illinois government shutdown.

Good morning, Early Riser! Since 1997 I've been waking WNIJ listeners with the latest news, weather, and program information with the goal of seamlessly weaving this content into NPR's Morning Edition.
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