By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – The two leaders in the Illinois House differ on the recent history of state’s two-year budget impasse, with Republicans asking House Democrats to show their work.

With an unfunded pension liability of more than $130 billion, the backlog of unpaid bills topping $15 billion, no certainty for Illinois road projects, public schools and multi-state lottery, and a sputtering economy with continued out-migration, the first day of special session ended without any action on a budget or reforms to grow the economy. The House ended in less than eight minutes without any action taken on a budget or reforms.

Senate Democrats last month passed a budget and tax hike the House didn’t touch. Last week, Republican leaders proposed a budget that also relies on tax increases. But on the first day of special session, many are wondering: Where’s the plan from Speaker Mike Madigan and House Democrats.

State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, asked pointed questions Wednesday.

“Where is the Speaker? Where’s his plan?” Righter asked. “How does he balance the budget? How does he get Illinois’ economy going? Where is the Speaker?”

Following a closed-door meeting with his Democratic members, Madigan, D-Chicago, said they’re working on their own budget, and they’re not too far apart from leading Republicans’ plan.

“We have been working over several weeks in the [Rep.] Greg Harris [D-Chicago] budget team. They have an outline of a spending plan. They’ve engaged with Republicans. They’ve engaged with Senate Democrats,” Madigan said.

The Speaker made no mention of economic and political reforms Republican leaders and the governor are insisting on before agreeing to tax increases. Both House Republican and Senate Democrat plans call for more than $5 billion in tax hikes to pay for their increased spending.

Madigan also responded to critics who said House Democrats haven’t passed a balanced budget in years.

“In Rauner’s first year in office, the House passed a budget. In his second year in office, we passed a budget,” Madigan said. “We’re now in the third year in office, and we’re fully engaged.”

Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, had a different take on history and responded to critics who said the GOP plan isn’t balanced either.

He remembers “last year that the House Democrats passed a $7 billion unbalanced budget. The year before, $4.5 billion; and the year before that, $1.5 billion. So I take it as when the Democrats claim that our budget isn’t balanced it means we’re doing our job because they absolutely couldn’t balance their way out of a wet paper bag.”

Democrats say the GOP plan isn’t balanced because it relies on pension savings that may not be realized and more than $400 million in state employee group health insurances savings that are tied up in a contract impasse court case.

Both the House and Senate will be in special session through the rest of the month.

The next budget year begins July 1.