Budget Negotiations Could Be Set On ‘Repeat’

By Kevin Lee, Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD – For House Republican Leader Tom Cross, this year’s budget session is causing déjà vu.

Like last year, Illinois is facing a record budget shortfall. And like last year, Cross said state government’s first step should be to stop overspending.

“This is going to take two or three years to get out of this hole, but you’ve got to quit digging,” he said. “We’ve talked about holding the line on spending, we’ve talked about cuts, we’ve talked about reform in a variety of areas – Medicaid and pensions. It’s fascinating that we’re having almost the same discussion today as we had a year ago.”

This year will see renewed debate over a tax hike, a contentious proposal both legislative chambers discussed last spring.

Back then, Democratic state senators passed their form of a tax increase, with no support from Republicans colleagues.

But the Illinois House did not vote on the Senate Democrats’ proposal. Instead, they voted on and rejected a tax hike backed by Gov. Pat Quinn.

State Sen. James Meeks, D-Chicago, said for this budget, any new tax proposals would have to first go through the other legislative chamber.

“I believe that any tax increase that’s passed under this dome is going to have to be passed in the House first. I don’t believe that senators are going to pass a tax increase, not knowing its fate in the House,” he said.

The leaders of the four legislative caucuses will take part in budget negotiations with Quinn in the upcoming weeks.

Lawmakers are waiting until Quinn sets his budget agenda in a speech on Wednesday before proposing solutions to the state’s fiscal crisis.

The Quinn administration has released some budget information on a state Website. The proposed cuts have already caused a furor among public universities, state agencies and human service providers.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, does not think Quinn is trying to scare lawmakers or the public into supporting a tax increase.

“The governor’s been left a lot of bad options. He’s going to have to do something dramatic to cut his budget. I don’t think he wants to do it, so I don’t believe it’s a game. I’d also point out that Gov. Quinn has been very upfront about the need for a tax increase for Illinois. So if he’s playing a game, he’s not doing it very well,” he said.