By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – It’s halftime at the state capitol and House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, says Democrats are trying to ensure Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republicans don’t get any points.
The leading House Republican said he was troubled by recent social media comments from Democratic senators who didn’t expect a budget until 2019.
“And I’m afraid we’re getting to a point that they do not want to see this governor get any type of legislative victory between now and the next elections,” he said.
State Rep. Michael Zalewski, D-Riverside, said that wasn’t the case. Instead, Zalewski said the majority party may be sticking to a formula of addressing problems piece-by-piece.
“When we’ve done appropriations that the governor has signed off on thus far, they haven’t required a tax increase. They’ve either relied upon cuts, they’ve relied on one-time sources of money,” Zalewski said.
The governor has criticized such stopgap measures further adding to the deficit and not addressing structural reforms to grow the economy.
Democrats regularly criticize the governor, saying he hasn’t proposed balanced budgets for the past three years, something the governor disagrees with.
Durkin said Democrats are to blame for the lack of real balanced solutions passing the statehouse.
“The governor has been making proposals for the past three years about trying to put Illinois in a better place, but the fact is the governor doesn’t introduce legislation, the governor doesn’t pass legislation. It’s time for the Speaker (Michael Madigan) to make a decision,” Durkin said.
Rauner said he hopes Durkin is wrong that Democrats are holding things up for politics. He said they have to keep pushing for economic growth and balanced budgets.
“It’s a culture change for them [lawmakers]. It’s an attitude shift, and it’s obviously been very difficult for the General Assembly to wrap their minds around a truly balanced budget. But we’ve got to keep pushing them, it’s the right thing to do.”
The governor criticized Madigan for holding up proposals like selling the Thompson Center in Chicago.
In a letter Madigan sent Rauner Tuesday about the proposed sale of the Thompson Center, Madigan said the governor was being disingenuous.
