Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger believes Gov. Bruce Rauner should drop his proposed "Turnaround Agenda" items aimed at unions in an effort to get a state budget adopted.
"I don't think it's productive, I think we've got to work together, personally," Munger, who was appointed by Rauner, said Friday when asked if the governor should back off from his union proposals.
"I don't think it helps to pit people against one another, to be completely honest," she added, the Quad-Cities Online's Eric Timmons reported. "I believe we need to be all working together to solve the problems in Illinois."
Illinois has been without a state budget since July 1. Rauner, a Republican, is trying to win items on his "Turnaround Agenda" through the budgeting process. Some of those items include workers' compensation reforms, a property tax freeze and limits on collective bargaining.
As for the other agenda items being pushed by Rauner, Munger said she favors tort reform and changes to the workers' compensation system in the state.
Also on Friday, former Illinois Republican Gov. Jim Edgar said Rauner should zero in on getting a state budget adopted and let up on his pro-business, anti-union policy agenda.
"State government's probably in the worst state it's been in the 47 years that I've been around (it)," Edgar said in an interview with The State Journal-Register. "You've got dozens and dozens of programs that aren't being funded, agencies that are having trouble doing their mission, and I just think it's very unfortunate."
"We need a budget," Edgar said. "These other issues, they're important, some of them I think more important than others, but you don't hold the budget hostage to get those. ... It has been very destabilizing for state government. I think a lot of people have suffered."
Sources
- News links:
Share
Recent content
- Emanuel Says He Has Votes Needed To Pass Budget
- Central Illinois Senior Service Provider To Cut Programs Due To Budget Stalemate
- Illinois Unemployment Rate Drops To 5.4%, Job Growth 'Still Dismal'
- Feds Investigating Winnebago County Records
- Mitshubishi Workers Approve Final Contract For Plant's Final Days
- IL Republican Leader Moves To Hasten Sale Of Thompson Center
- Under Investigation: Detroit Public Schools Contracts Issued Under Byrd-Bennett
- Cook Co. Circuit Court Clerk Brown Ensnared In Husband's Federal Investigation
- ACLU: Transgender Discrimination At Illinois School Could Have National Effects
- Illinois Manufacturers Seeing Job Losses, Pushing For Reforms
- Hastert To Plead Guilty In Federal Hush Money Case
Top Stories
Comments
The whole budget issue is isolated from the governor.
The Democrats have a super-majority and can easily override any veto by the governor. They can pass any spending budget they want and keep it balanced by passing a tax increase to cover the spending.
However, a tax increase would make the Democrats unpopular. They want to get credit for massive spending, but they don't want the blame for massive taxing. They can't avoid the budget issue, however, since they hold all the cards and have all the power and authority.
The governor should be left out of the discussion.