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House GOP Leader Durkin Calls On Speaker Madigan To Negotiate On Illinois Budget Crisis


House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, Illinois budget impasse
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. (PHOTO SUPPLIED)

Springfield, IL-(ENEWSPF)- House Republican Leader Jim Durkin called on Speaker Michael Madigan to negotiate a resolution to the Illinois budget crisis.

In a statement Saturday, Leader Durkin said, “With 6 days remaining in this fiscal year, I once again call upon Speaker Madigan to meet with me immediately to negotiate a resolution to the budget impasse. We are making good progress with workers compensation reform as a result of our Wednesday meeting. I believe we can resolve the unfinished areas in a collective manner. The work needs to be in the House and we should mirror the collaborative efforts performed in the Senate. As Senate President Cullerton told Rick Pearson on WGN Radio last Sunday, ‘Madigan and Durkin should do what Radogno and Cullerton did. Sit down and come up with a plan.’

“We are past the point of having these Committees of the Whole.  We just need to finish the job.”

WGNTV.COM reported late Sunday that lawmakers were meeting “behind closed doors” to reach consensus and resolve the impasse:

As a special session of the Illinois legislature continues, party leaders met behind closed doors Sunday to try and come up with a budget fix before the end of the month.

“We haven’t had a meeting like this in a long time,” said Senate President John Cullerton.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle say they feel the pressure to make a deal before Friday’s deadline, which is the end of the fiscal year. As the state risks being downgraded to junk bond status, party leaders were meeting for the first time since early December.

“I think it’s imperative that we get a budget passed. All other issues need to be put aside,” said Illinois State Treasurer Mike Frerichs.

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said if they don’t, there’s a real possibility Illinois could end up in a “deadbeat situation” where it can’t pay its bills.


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