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House Speaker Madigan Responds to Governor Rauner’s Most Recent Request for Additional Budget Meetings and Topics for Discussion


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Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan

CHICAGO –(ENEWSPF)–December 2, 2016.  House Speaker Michael Madigan on Friday released the following statement regarding meetings with Gov. Bruce Rauner about the state budget and other state issues:

“I am available to meet with Governor Rauner this Saturday and Sunday, and I will work to get a budget completed. Representative Greg Harris, who will continue to join me in these meetings, has worked successfully with other legislators to negotiate the details of budgets we’ve passed previously. We believe this previously successful framework should be used to work on a budget that will ensure schools open on time, public safety is maintained and services for seniors and the most vulnerable continue.

“I am requesting from the governor’s office by Sunday a list of topics, so experts from our caucus can attend to facilitate a real conversation on these issues, unlike the superficial discussions held by the governor this week that did not help us get any closer to a full-year budget. Like I privately requested earlier this week, I request that we get into the details of these issues. I hope the governor and all legislative leaders bring with them any expert they deem necessary to have a real discussion on these topics, rather than a repeat of the same dialogue. I would also like to add for consideration the following topics:

  • Memorandums of Understanding for future and past funding agreed to by the governor. House Democrats are concerned about the ability to ensure money appropriated from the Legislature will be spent as intended when an agreement is reached with Governor Rauner. For instance, the governor’s Good Friday cuts in April 2015 included severe and draconian cuts to many items previously agreed to by the governor with our caucus. These cuts betrayed the agreement our caucus made with the governor. This behavior has continued with the most recent stopgap budget, in which line items have not been spent per the agreement made by the governor to the leaders. House Democrats want to be assured the governor will spend appropriations based on his agreements when a full budget is passed.
  • Governor Rauner’s veto of Senate Bill 2822. The governor’s veto of this bipartisan legislation will severely harm the education of nearly 400,000 school children in the Chicago Public Schools, all for the purpose of holding more meetings. In light of Senate President Cullerton’s presentation just the other day on pension reform, it seems that this was simply a punitive move meant to harm the schoolchildren of CPS.
  • A full recounting of all taxpayer-funded corporate giveaways handed out to businesses since Governor Rauner took office, and how many new jobs have been created in Illinois by those corporations since Governor Rauner awarded them taxpayer dollars. Also, a list of all state tax incentives given to corporations in instances when those corporations had any interaction with the Public Private Partnership introduced by Governor Rauner.
  • A status of contract negotiations with AFSCME state employees following the governor’s declared impasse with workers. As this matter concerns the wages and benefits of employees throughout the state, and the potential shutdown of critical state services, it is therefore a significant budget issue and important we know the facts of the present situation and the governor’s plan moving forward.”

Source: Speaker Madigan’s Office

 

 

 


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