Democrats in the Illinois Senate Friday made another attempt to meet the demands of Governor Bruce Rauner’s economic agenda.
The Republican governor has said the expense of workers compensation insurance has driven businesses out of the state.
Democratic Senator Kwame Raoul, from Chicago, sponsored a bill meant to bring costs down.
"I know workers comp. I’ve practiced workers comp on behalf of employers. This, if implemented right, will save employers money, and I urge an aye vote."
But just one Republican voted for it. The rest, like Sen. Michael Connelly, from Lisle, say it’s not nearly good enough.
“And you will know that it’s true workers’ compensation reform when the lion’s share of the ‘yes’ votes come from the Republican side of the aisle."
Changes to workers’ compensation has been one of Rauner’s prerequisites for negotiating a balanced budget.
It was also part of the Senate’s so-called grand bargain. Democrats say their legislation incorporated Republican ideas.