Dem Budget Plans "Tightly Held, Even Within Their Own Caucuses
Senate President Don Harmon
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As the General Assembly prepares to return to Springfield this week in an effort to pass a budget and leave town for the summer, how they intend to do so has left many, Democrats included, in the dark.
Numerous rumors and anecdotes from House Democratic caucus meetings in recent weeks have outlined “dissention” and “chaos” among the majority in the House in their efforts to craft a budget, but the same can’t be said in the Senate.
The Illinoize spoke to eight Democratic lawmakers, lobbyists and insiders Tuesday to get their take on how Democrats manage to settle differences and pass a budget this week.
Senate President Don Harmon has centralized budget negotiations around his top “budgeteer” Sen. Elgie Sims (D-Chicago) and has, in general, left rank and file Democratic members in the dark on specifics.
“Don has put an enormous amount of responsibility on Elgie,” said one Democrat. “All of the discussions on the Senate side are tightly held. It’s definitely a lot easier than the House.”
Sims did not return a message Monday.
It is expected that a budget bill begins in the Senate Wednesday, but it isn’t clear how close the House and Senate are to an agreement.
“Our understanding was this was going to be an agreed budget,” said one House Democrat last week. “But it’s going to be difficult to make progressives happy.”
But with state revenue estimates for the new fiscal year reduced and widely held expectations of a looming recession, the laundry list of progressive desires may have to be culled.
The push from progressives, and progressive freshmen, may be more of an issue in the House than Senate.
“Don [Harmon] is doing his best to hold everything together and balance those interests,” said another Democrat. “But the House [dissention] could be their own internal disputes.”
No matter the differences remaining before lawmakers return Wednesday, all Democrats we spoke to are confident they’ll leave the Capitol this week with a budget.
“It’s going to sort itself out,” a confident lawmaker said.