By Eric Stock
SPRINGFIELD – ‘Wait ’til next year’ used to be a familiar slogan for Cubs’ fans, but this year the phrase was more likely to be uttered by educators, social service providers and others who are counting on state funding to run their operations. Illinois’ ongoing budget battle was one of WJBC’s Top Stories of 2016.
State legislators longstanding dispute was more like a cold war with Gov. Bruce Rauner and the legislature leaders holding their ground in a more than year-long budget showdown.
“That’s a dereliction of duty, that’s a failure of Speaker Madigan and his caucus to do their jobs,” Rauner said.
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan responded by telling his constituents: “People, your districts have spoken, it’s time to listen to their voice.”
Social service providers in the community practically begged leaders to come an agreement to keep their programs, and in some cases, their clients alive.
“A million people are depending 0n you, many, literally with their lives,” Rickielee Benecke with the Bloomington-based Life Center for Independent Living said during a June news conference.
Local lawmakers intervened, suggested ways to resolve the stalemate so at least some would get paid, whether it was homeless shelters or college students.
How do you fund it leader, how do you fund it,” Brady angrily questioned Democratic majority leader Barbara Flynn Currie during House floor debate regarding student MAP grants. “Apparently, the answer is not negotiating. I’m not going to be part of that hoax.”
The state’s bill payer even intervened, refusing to pay lawmakers until a budget was signed.
“In the case of payroll for elected leaders, I have the legal authority and I have the necessary vouchers, but I do not have the money,” Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger said .
Several lawmakers Democratic lawmakers later sued the comptroller to get paid.
Lawmakers and the governor agreed in the 11th hour in June to a stopgap budget deal but no one was sounding optimistic about any long term solutions.
“This is not a budget, this is not a balanced budget, this is not a solution to our long term challenges,” Rauner declared. “This is a bridge to reform.”
So some state checks started going out, slowly.
“We have right now more than 83,000 unpaid vouchers that are sitting in our system that we don’t have money to pay,” said a comptroller’s spokesman.
Connect Transit was one of the agencies waiting for long-delayed state aid. In fact, the local bus service had said it was prepared to pull its buses of the road.
“We are very grateful we received the money, we are happy to keep our employees employed and happy to keep Bloomington-Normal moving,” market manager Melissa Chrisman said.
Illinois’s next budget deadline is Dec. 31.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
