- Published: 10 March 2017
WTAX News Radio - March 10, 2017 | original article
Who says there’s trouble with the Grand Bargain?
“To see this much being done this quickly,” says State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) “really says something about the urgency of this and the commitment of the Senate president and the Senate Republican leader to get this done.”
It’s almost as if voting on the multi-bill package hasn’t stalled out, with Democrats accusing Gov. Bruce Rauner of intimidating Republicans into withdrawing their support — after Rauner publicly praised the effort and even recorded a campaign-style video taking credit for it.
“I don’t know if the governor is going to just run this down to the end of the year, and then pack his bags and leave Illinois, but the citizens of Illinois, the taxpayers will pay that bill. We will pay that bill of $11 million a day.” said State Sen. Patricia Van Pelt (D-Chicago). “It’s outrageous! So the Grand Bargain is still alive in our hearts, and we are just waiting for the Republicans to come on board.”
State Sen. Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) wants the theme of the week to be: the Rauner cabinet can’t identify any cuts, even after the governor has advocated spending cuts.
“Time and again,” Manar said of this week’s committee hearings, “agency directors told us in very certain terms, that they cannot cut their budgets any deeper than they already have been.”
