A budget oversight panel created by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan grilled members of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration about cuts to the current budget and his plan for next year.
Democratic members of the committee demanded more information about how the governor is choosing which programs to cut and, in some cases, eliminate. They say the process the administration used to decide what to cut lacked transparency and argued that some of the choices, like eliminating services to people with autism, were wrong.
Gregory Bassi acting secretary of the Illinois Department Of Human Services, said that he worked with his staff to make those tough decisions.
Some Democrats on the panel said they could not support the deep reductions in the governor's proposed budget for next year. Democratic Rep. Luis Arroyo predicted that the process could drag into the summer if no compromises are found. Lawmakers are set to adjourn the spring session at the end of May if a new budget is approved by then.
