SPRINGFIELD – On his way down to Springfield Monday, State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) was uncharacteristically cranky when he emphasized that he wouldn't be supporting any non-essential bill brought to the House floor until a state budget appears for consideration.
"There's no button to say 'Hell No,' but if there was, I'd be tapping it," Batinick said. "Until there's a budget, I will vote only 'No' or 'Present' on any bill that is not budget-related."
A state like Illinois going 22 months with no budget is far too long, he said.
Although he'll dutifully be in attendance at the Capitol, Batinick plans to vote on only four categories of essential legislation: any budget-related bills, legislation that would make state government more efficient, legislation that has the ability to produce private-sector job growth, and any bills that impact immediate public safety concerns.
“We have to put our priorities in the right place,” Rep. Batinick said. “Right now, that means passing a state budget and ending this destructive, unnecessary impasse. I may be only one legislator, but I can do my part and set an example by personally refusing to participate in wasting the legislature’s time by voting on any bills that are non-essential or distract from the most important thing we should be doing right now, which is to pass a budget.”
