If at first you don’t succeed: Ill. lawmakers to try again to pass state budget

Try, try again: Ill. lawmakers take stab at budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois lawmakers are going to take another stab at passing a new state budget.

Democratic legislative leaders said Thursday they will call lawmakers back to Springfield next week in hopes of approving a spending plan by May 31.

Stumped over what to do with a $13 billion budget deficit, the Legislature adjourned earlier this month without passing a budget. The Senate approved one version, but the House balked and Speaker Michael Madigan sent lawmakers home until he was ready for them to try again.

Madigan, D-Chicago, now wants the House to meet Monday through Wednesday. Spokesman Steve Brown said he didn’t know what budget action the speaker plans to take or whether Democratic leaders have reached any kind of agreement.

The Senate will convene Wednesday and may meet through Friday, said Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago. Cullerton hasn’t made any deals on how to proceed and is waiting to see what the House does, said spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn said much the same.

“We’re going to have to see what happens,” said Kelly Kraft.

Quinn has been meeting with legislators to build support for his budget proposals — borrowing billions of dollars, raising cigarette taxes and giving the governor broad new power to cut spending where he sees fit.

Republicans, who have been largely shut out of budget discussions, are refusing to support the proposals. Some Democrats object, too, and want assurances that Quinn won’t cut programs they see as vital.

“He has not made any commitments,” Kraft said. “He has definitely heard from legislators about things they’re interested in preserving.”

Hit by falling tax revenues and rising demand for government services, Illinois has seen its deficit grow to $13 billion — roughly $1 for every $2 in spending under state control.

Quinn proposed a one-third increase in income taxes to cover a portion of that deficit, but his plan was rejected by Democrats and Republicans alike.

The governor says he reduced state spending by about $2 billion over the past year. He has been hazy on the details, however, and Republicans are demanding more information and further cuts before they’ll consider other budget measures.

If they unify, Democrats can raise cigarette taxes and expand Quinn’s budget powers on their own. But even under the best circumstances, Democrats would need at least one Republican vote to approve borrowing $3.7 billion for the state’s annual contribution to government pension funds.

Sara Wojcicki, spokeswoman for House Republican Leader Tom Cross, said the GOP has not been contacted about the budget during the legislative break. Unless Democrats come up with something new, she said, Republicans will continue to oppose the borrowing plan.

After May 31, new requirements kick in and Republican votes would be required to pass any budget measure.

Rep. Frank Mautino, a budget negotiator for House Democrats, said revenues continue to fall. After elections are out of the way in November, officials almost certainly will have to adjust whatever place-keeping budget they manage to pass now.

“This will keep the trains running, though not on time,” Mautino said.