Madigan has rough week in trying to outfox Rauner
"He seems so done with it all," a top Republican said early last week about House Republican Leader Jim Durkin. "He hates this," a close Durkin pal said. The overtime...
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Don’t expect much from state budget summit
The concept of a public meeting on Nov. 18 by the four legislative leaders and the governor sounds nice, but will it actually move the ball forward and break the...
Will the ‘Turnaround Agenda’ really save that much?
For months now, Gov. Bruce Rauner has said he won't negotiate a state budget unless his "Turnaround Agenda" demands are met. In the meantime, he has slashed funding for the...
In Rauner stronghold, voters’ frustration rising
Gov. Bruce Rauner took it on the chin for several days in a row this month. The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute's recent poll of southern Illinoisans showed Rauner's approval...
Democrats wary of Rauner plan to sell Thompson Center
Gov. Bruce Rauner said last week that he had spoken with Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan about his proposed sale of the state's Thompson Center building...
Rauner, Democrats eventually must face reality
Last year, gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner pledged to "crack down on waste" in government to save taxpayers more than $140 million. He also vowed to cut $500 million from the...
Senate return delayed but little for it to do
The Illinois Senate had been scheduled to return to Springfield on Oct. 6 after not being in session since Sept. 9, but last week the Senate president postponed the session...
Rauner poll, Cupich speech may not help things
A poll and a speech may have hardened positions even further on both sides of the highly partisan and bitter state government impasse. The speech, by Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich,...
Still no state budget while bills pile up
As you probably know, Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger has said the state government's backlog of unpaid bills will hit $8.5 billion by the end of the year, up from about...
Democrats’ override effort drowns in ‘dunking’
There was a reason why state Rep. Esther Golar, D-Chicago, showed up late for the legislative session last Wednesday. She has been quite ill. Unbeknownst to many of her colleagues,...