By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said schools are being left in limbo as lawmakers push through an unbalanced budget.
Brady is using his role as Republican spokesman for the House Appropriations-Higher Education Committee to say the Democrats are pushing through a ‘sham’ budget that promises money that state doesn’t have.
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has said the budget bills the Democrats have presented are about $3 billion short.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Brady on WJBC.
“When you want to talk about revenue later, you once again hang out state universities who don’t know what to plan for next year,” Brady said. “We haven’t even seen a K-through-12 budget.”
Brady told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, the 30-percent higher education cuts Gov. Bruce Rauner had proposed are being scaled back, while colleges and universities are urging lawmakers to remove certain financial constraints.
Brady said lawmakers are likely looking at an overtime session with a Sunday budget deadline looming. He said the Democrats are trying to force Governor Rauner’s hand by either signing the budget or vetoing it and facing the consequences of a government shutdown.
“One scenario at least is that the budget will be passed – not with Republican votes,” Brady said. “It will be held by the Democrats and when its released to the governor, the governor is going to immediately veto the budget. I believe it will be an all out veto.”
Brady predicted a showdown similar to the one House Speaker Mike Madigan had with then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2007 which led to a budget stalemate that lasted well into the summer.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
