Democrats Blow Budget Deadline, Will Return to Springfield Next Week
Senate President Don Harmon
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Despite mountains of speculation, rumors, and projections under the dome Springfield, lawmakers adjourned Thursday without advancing the first steps of a state budget, assuring the two chamber would not be able to advance a spending plan before the scheduled adjournment Friday or even Saturday.
Republicans in the House quibbled through the day yesterday they hadn’t heard anything from Democrats on a budget or a revenue estimate. Rank and file Democrats we talked through during the day said they were in the dark, too. And Democratic leaders weren’t talking. We saw House Democrat budgeteer Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) in the hallway last night and when she saw me and a reporter from another newsletter, she snuck away and used a back elevator to avoid talking to us.
“It would appear House Democrats are in disarray,” said one insider last night. “They have no idea how to balance all of the asks from their members with the revenue constraints.”
There were rumors through the day that the Senate Democrat appropriations staff were furiously working to push a budget bill (or at least a passable version of one) to try to get something to the House Thursday so they could potentially finish early Saturday morning.
As time ticked away, the option looked less likely. Sometime around 8pm, Senate President Don Harmon emerged from GOP Leader John Curran’s office. We asked Harmon if they were moving a budget last night and his Chief of Staff responded “no.”
That essentially guaranteed the issue will be pushed to next week.
House Democrats caucused last night, and multiple members told us the chamber will finish concurrences, resolutions, and some other less controversial business, and adjourn by this afternoon. They aren’t expected to stay through the weekend because, we’re told, there are a lot of members who wouldn’t be available this weekend due to things like high school graduations.
So, members were told to be ready to return next week to finish the budget.
Effectively, this doesn’t have a major constitutional impact as leadership wanted to get done before May 31st so members weren’t pushing any deadlines to pass a budget with a majority vote. And, since both the House and Senate have supermajorities, they don’t really have to do it by May 31, either.
But, alas, clear your schedules. We’re back here next week.