SPRINGFIELD – The budget that passed House Speaker Mike Madigan's Illinois House will be considered Tuesday in the Illinois Senate, says Senate President John Cullerton. The Democrat-controlled chamber is looking for Republican votes to share the blame for passing a budget with no reforms to correct its failed financial situation.
The budget vote will be new Republican Leader Bill Brady's first test in how he will lead the GOP caucus. Will he "protect taxpayers" as he promised to do when running for governor three times, or will he allow his caucus to abandon the GOP platform and raise taxes?
Fifteen House Republicans stepped up to help out Speaker Madigan by voting "yes" and allow enough cover so that ten of the Speaker's most endangered members from swing districts could vote "no" Sunday.
The budget has no property tax freezes (temporary or permanent), no workers comp reform, no pension adjustments – only a state income tax hike for businesses and individuals. Supposedly a "compromise," those who've reviewed the last hour budget that appears to be on its way to the governor after it passes the Senate is notably missing reforms in exchange for the tax hike.
Governor Rauner has promised to veto the measure, but it could be overridden with the help of Republicans that support raising taxes on businesses and individuals.
No budget is better for the middle class then a bad budget.
Foxy Eddie likes raising taxes. Just like all of his relatives.Ask Cullerton about Foxy Eddie.
God Bless America
Carl Lambrecht
This is why I don’t consider myself a Republican in this state, it’s a liberal-to-moderate party that actually created this crisis, actually created an income tax, actually created the pension ramp, actually supported COLA, and actually raised the income tax that they created years earlier and raised it again without any substantive reforms. Oh, and cozy, cozy with the IEA in the 80s and 90s.
“Fifteen House Republicans stepped up to help out Speaker Madigan by voting “yes” and allow enough cover so that ten of the Speaker’s most endangered members from swing districts could vote “no” Sunday.”