House and Senate to Miss Self-Imposed Friday Budget Deadline
The House chamber in Springfield.
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The House and Senate adjourned Wednesday night, all but assuring the self-imposed Friday deadline for passing a budget and leaving Springfield will be blown for the second year in a row.
One chamber needed to move a budget bill Wednesday to fulfill the three days reading requirement, meaning, now, Saturday will be the earliest a budget can pass.
But, according to many legislators on both sides of the aisle, getting there is still going to be the toughest challenge. The Sun-Times reported tonight about a poll of House Democrats on Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed sports gaming tax increase and his plan to end the sales tax discount for retailers across the state.
A House Democrat clarified Wednesday night he poll was actually taken a “couple of weeks ago,” but admitted the “vibes” around the proposal are still not good.
In conversations with numerous House Democrats Wednesday night, mostly off the record, members tried to play down the “chaos” narrative around the building about negotiations in the caucus, though, we’re told they’re still not particularly close on finding consensus in the caucus.
House members were being polled Wednesday afternoon on weekend availability, but it’s also possible budgeteers could hunker down over the weekend, get sign off from the caucuses on Tuesday, and get out by late next week.
