By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois is now in its fifth month without a budget.
State Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, he doesn’t see the Gov. Bruce Rauner backing down any time soon.
PODCAST: Listen to Scott and Colleen’s interview with Brady on WJBC.
“The Democrats are literally scared for their lives when it comes to the next election cycle,” Brady said. “The ability Governor Rauner has to personal finance campaigns and to raise money from other interested parties has got them very much in dismay.”
Rauner is planning a town hall meeting in Bloomington on Monday. Rauner is dubbing the event a ‘Path Forward for Illinois.’ The event is sponsored by the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and is being held at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Education
Brady suggested government stay out the classroom on the heels of Illinois’ school report card shows less than half of graduates from Illinois public high schools who took entrance exams are ready for college.
“I continue to worry about the fact we overregulate and we don’t give the local superintendents the ability they have to make the wisest decisions they can make,” Brady said. “That is what I think is most wasteful.”
Brady said he agrees with the Obama administration’s recent call for more local control of schools, but he added the U.S. Department of Education could be eliminated to save money. He’s previously said the same about the Illinois State Board of Education.
Prison hiring
Brady said laws meant stop political hiring in the Department of Corrections are ‘overkill.’ He said red tape has lead to hiring delays at Illinois prisons.
“We do have to hire good people,” Brady said. “We have to make sure we do proper background checks and make sure the best of the best and the people with the most integrity are in those departments.”
Brady echoed a recent report from the John Howard Association, calling the hiring rules a “billion dollar solution to a thousand dollar problem.” Brady said understaffed prisons are a time bomb.
The report said Rauner’s order issued in July to change the current state hiring system hasn’t helped.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
