Democrats Say Rauner 'Needs To Get Serious' On Budget
From the Associated Press
Illinois will run out of money to operate in a matter of months if lawmakers can't agree on a state budget, top Democrats warned Thursday, but they reiterated that they won't bow to Gov. Bruce Rauner's demands to weaken public worker unions for a deal.
House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and state Sen. Kwame Raoul said the Republican governor should drop his push to let local governments opt out of collective bargaining, a move they say would lead to lower wages and a less qualified workforce.
Currie said Rauner should instead be worrying about the state money "going out the door at a very fast clip." Both parties estimate that Illinois is on track to spend about $5 billion more than it's taking in because of court orders and state law requiring some payments.
"He needs to get serious about adopting a budget that doesn't mean the state goes totally broke come February or March," the Chicago Democrat said following a stop in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, where Rauner also spoke Thursday at an unrelated event.
Rauner has been stepping up his anti-union push this week, arguing that Democrats have repeatedly taken votes against collective bargaining and issuing a news release that listed specific bills and Democratic lawmakers who supported them.
He called their firm stance against doing so now "political manipulation" because Democrats don't want to anger labor unions — some of their biggest backers — heading into the 2016 elections.
Rauner also argues that giving governments a choice of whether to bargain over wages, benefits and other issues will ultimately help the middle class by lowering taxes and sparking a healthier economy.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Associated Press
Illinois will run out of money to operate in a matter of months if lawmakers can't agree on a state budget, top Democrats warned Thursday, but they reiterated that they won't bow to Gov. Bruce Rauner's demands to weaken public worker unions for a deal.
House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and state Sen. Kwame Raoul said the Republican governor should drop his push to let local governments opt out of collective bargaining, a move they say would lead to lower wages and a less qualified workforce.
Currie said Rauner should instead be worrying about the state money "going out the door at a very fast clip." Both parties estimate that Illinois is on track to spend about $5 billion more than it's taking in because of court orders and state law requiring some payments.
"He needs to get serious about adopting a budget that doesn't mean the state goes totally broke come February or March," the Chicago Democrat said following a stop in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, where Rauner also spoke Thursday at an unrelated event.
Rauner has been stepping up his anti-union push this week, arguing that Democrats have repeatedly taken votes against collective bargaining and issuing a news release that listed specific bills and Democratic lawmakers who supported them.
He called their firm stance against doing so now "political manipulation" because Democrats don't want to anger labor unions — some of their biggest backers — heading into the 2016 elections.
Rauner also argues that giving governments a choice of whether to bargain over wages, benefits and other issues will ultimately help the middle class by lowering taxes and sparking a healthier economy.
Read more in our daily News Update...