Organization Holds ‘State of Our State’ Address

Rauner will call for a 25 percent reduction in the state’s prison population, getting rid of what he calls “wasteful bureaucracy” at public schools, and updating the state’s outdated computer systems.

“To achieve a grand compromise, we must cast partisanship and ideology aside”, Rauner said.

“The Governor is continuing his push to improve our business climate and grow good-paying jobs, but he’s also working to improve the way our entire state government functions”, state Sen. “And those that are suffering the most are the ones that need it the most”.

Despite demands from groups dependent on state funding, there’s no indication in the documents that Rauner will introduce a broad plan to address new revenue, or the state’s lack of budget.

Crisis intervention services aimed at helping runaways and at-risk youth in Chicago’s Englewood and West Englewood communities are also expected to be suspended on February 15 due to the state budget impasse.

“I would probably just be lost, I probably wouldn’t have my child honestly, I wouldn’t have her”, said Love.

Social service advocates said the main focus in Springfield should be on the budget. Democrats have refused, saying those changes will hurt working families and drive down wages while helping Illinois’ highest earners get richer. “I hope the governor is ready to sit down and engage in an open and constructive dialogue on these issues”.

“Right now, the people of IL, they don’t have any faith in Republicans or Democrats, the executive branch, the legislative branch, and I understand why they don’t”. However, Speaker of the House Mike Madigan has pointed to multiple votes by the House for a property tax freeze, all of which fell short.

“We’ve stopped doing our jobs”, said Dunkin.

Rauner also wants to award more money to colleges that can cut administrative costs, and establish a measurement for student growth that is not necessarily based on the controversial PARCC exam. And he called for “proper” funding for early childcare education – an area his wife Diana works closely in – and said that these big reforms could begin to happen this session.

BRUCE RAUNER: They don’t want partisan bickering, political infighting or personal conflict to get in the way of serving the needs of the families of IL.

Rather, Rauner seemed to reach out to them – or, more precisely, to Senate President John Cullerton, with whom he’s been negotiating a plan to cut the state’s pension costs.

“In the average state, 40 cents of every property tax dollar goes to fund public education”. His speech left Democrats with few positive things to say about the rookie governor, but Republican lawmakers said they support his call for a spending plan that’s paired with structural reforms, including changes to collective bargaining. Frese said he’s hopeful after seeing Rauner agree to work with Cullerton.

Backers of the Cullerton plan say it could save IL – which has unfunded pension liabilities of more than $111 billion – about $1 billion annually.

The Illinois budget impasse is further complicated by a wide shortfall in revenues needed to pay for the roughly $34 billion in spending approved in last year’s budget. “If we work together IL can be both compassionate and competitive”. The governor said today that he’s going to work on that as long as there are no losers. Lutheran Social Services just laid off half its staff and terminated programs such as in-home care for seniors and substance abuse counseling serving about 5,000 people.

Across Illinois, seniors, individuals with disabilities and other vulnerable citizens are going without vital services because Gov. Rauner is holding the budget hostage until he succeeds in upending our legal system – among other items in his agenda.