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House Passes Temporary Budget, Includes Provision to Pay Employees

Illinois House Chamber
Brian Mackey, Illinois Public Radio

A stopgap Illinois budget padded with guaranteed state-employee paychecks for July has won House approval, but the change delays its delivery to the governor.         The $2.3 billion plan that Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner opposes was endorsed 71-19 Thursday. It must return to the Senate for concurrence because of the pay provision. The previous version included just emergency expenses.        

Rauner and Democratic lawmakers are at odds over a yearlong plan. The fiscal year began July 1 without state authority to pay its bills.        

The pay provision responded to House Republicans' effort to create a state law guaranteeing that state employees get paid regardless of whether there's spending authority _ a move that Democrats mocked as a bank-breaker and buried in parliamentary procedures.        

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The bills are SB4020 and HB4245.
       

 

Previous Story:
An Illinois House committee has endorsed a $2.3 billion stop-gap budget plan, but Gov. Bruce Rauner says he opposes it.        

The Executive Committee OK'd the temporary plan 7-4 Wednesday.

Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, says the House will act on the plan Thursday.    

It's designed to keep state government operating through July while Democrats in the General Assembly and Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner wrangle over a long-term budget plan for the fiscal year that began last week.        

Rauner wouldn't say Wednesday whether he would veto a temporary budget if it was sent to him. He released what he said were compromises on his business-climate reforms and said lawmakers must adopt them before discussing a tax increase Democrats prefer.        

The bill is SB2040

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Bruce Rauner

Meanwhile, Gov. Rauner appears to be softening a bit on tax increases. Rauner told reporters outside his Capitol office Wednesday that raising taxes violates one of his "core beliefs" but he'll do it if he gets his reforms.

As for the budget stalemate, the governor explains why he vetoed the spending plan outright rather than leave in workers' salaries.

We need major changes in that budget. ~Gov. Bruce Rauner

"That budget was $4 billion in the hole," Rauner said of the plan lawmakers passed in May. "We need major changes in that budget, and to go through (it via) line-item veto doesn't make sense. What's very easy right now is to pass a continuing appropriation for state employees (to be paid)."
 
Rauner said Madigan and the attorney general, Lisa Madigan, are fighting against workers being paid. The attorney general, in a statement, responded, by saying she wants state workers to be paid, but the only way to guarantee that is by enacting a new state budget.

Jennifer Fuller joined Capitol News Illinois in July 2023 as the organization’s broadcast director. She will oversee the launch and operations of CNI’s new broadcast division.

Contact Jennifer Fuller at jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com
As a news producer and news anchor on All Things Considered, Brad provides the listeners with a recap of the day's top local and state news as well as breaking news at any given time. Contact WSIU Radio at 618-453-6101 or email wsiunews@wsiu.org
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