The Illinois General Assembly should have been done with its business at the end of May. Instead, lawmakers are set to return to Springfield Tuesday.
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner is still clashing with the Democratic leaders of the legislature. House Speaker Michael Madigan says Rauner's focus on pro-business changes is misplaced — that he ought to be more worried about getting the state’s finances in order.
“The interjection of these non-budget issues into that work is functioning on the extreme," Madigan told reporters last week.
Rauner says: on the contrary, his business agenda is about the budget, “because those regulatory reforms allow us to grow our economy, that increases our tax base, that increases our tax revenue to fund the budget."
Senate Democrats say they’ll be working on a counter economic agenda. It includes college tax credits, a minimum wage hike and guaranteed sick time for all workers.
