Rauner Signs Bill Blocking Legislator Pay Raise

“None”, she reiterated. The list includes controversial plans that failed to gain traction on a bipartisan level, such as reducing the portion of the income tax allocated to local governments, and requiring state employees to pay more for their healthcare, which must be part of ongoing negotiations with unions on a new contract.

The bill was passed by the Illinois House back in April, and it turns out this isn’t just a random selection of pie-Illinois is the biggest producer of pumpkins in the nation, so it’s only natural that the only thing most people eat that is made out of pumpkin receive some official accolade. Yet, like most everything else at the state Capitol these days, they’re split along party lines as to who’s to blame and how to fix it.

The budget acts as the controlling hand on the spigot of state spending.

At the center of the problem is a disagreement between Rauner and Democrats over what should be included in the budget. He says he won’t consider a tax increase until the Legislature gives into some of those priorities. Once again, Illinois sportsmen will take the brunt of budget cuts. And yet money’s steadily flowing from state coffers, thanks to court orders, decrees, and other arrangements.

House Republicans blasted the Democrats for trying to add state spending to the Senate’s $4.8 billion federal “pass through” authorization.

“We know exactly what this bill in this form is about”, he said, arguing that Democrats were continuing an “unfortunate summer” of doing little more than running impractical votes for use in attack mailings.

At this rate, the state will run out of money long before the fiscal year ends next June 30. “Or $34 billion rate per year or a $38 billion rate per year?” asked GOP Rep. David Harris of Arlington Heights.

The change is designed to streamline the AP credit process across the state’s public universities, as well as make college more accessible and affordable.