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Gov. Rauner Couldn't Veto The Budget If He Tried

Amanda Vinicky

Illinois leaders aren't in agreement on a new state budget, even as the current one nears its July expiration date. Democrats passed their own version, but Governor Bruce Rauner can't act on most of it yet, even if he wants to.

Just a few of the budget bills Democrats passed have made it to Gov. Rauner's desk --- where he has the ability to sign them into law, reject them entirely, or cut down the levels of spending.

The rest are still on hold.

Senate President John Cullerton says Democrats did "so (Gov. Rauner) just wouldn't abruptly veto the whole thing, at first. We want to make sure that he's had a chance to look at it, and reflect on it."

It's not like the hold prevents the governor from deciding what he'll do when the measures arrive. They're public, they're online. Rauner's team has had weeks to review the proposed budget.

Still, Republicans like Rep. Eddie Sullivan, of Mundelein, say enough waiting.

"Send the governor your budget and let him act on it and see where we go from there, at least then we're moving forward," he said. "By at least putting a budget out there, and letting the governor -- whatever he chooses to do -- moves the ball forward to some degree. At this point we're all at a standstill while imaginary sides negotiate on imaginary issues, because nothing's really going on."

Democrats say the governor will get the budget bills by the end of the month. Their $36 billion proposal spends as $4 billion as the state takes in, a plan that boosts funding of prisons and of elementary and high schools, but otherwise by and large reduces most all other state agencies and programs by 2.25-percent.

Democrats say the solution to filling the budget gap is a combination of cuts and revenue increases like a tax hike; Gov. Rauner says he's willing to consider higher or new taxes, but only if his pro-business, anti-union agenda advances. Thus far, his proposals to create local right-to-work zones, to freeze property taxes, and others have fallen short in the General Assembly.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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