By Eric Stock

SKOKIE – One of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s harshest critics in the Illinois legislature said a state budget won’t happen until Rauner realizes legislators don’t work for him.

“If he decides he’s going to continue to dig his heels in, and say ‘No workers comp reform comes before taking care of kids with epilepsy or the people with mental illness or taking care of our universities,’ ” said Democratic State Rep. and deputy majority leader in the Illinois House Lou Lang. “If that’s his position there won’t be a budget.”

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Lang on WJBC.

Lang told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the droves of people leaving the state isn’t entirely the fault of the state’s economic and business climate as Rauner contends. Lang said it could also be partly because the state has cut back many services during the nine-months long budget impasse.

Rauner noted in his Turnaround Agenda that more than 94,000 Illinoisans moved out of state last year.

Lang offered an unflattering comparison of Rauner to one of his predecessors. He said Rauner came in thinking he was the legislators’ boss – not a partner.

“He’s taken the Rod Blagojevich approach – not the crookedness of it – but the approach that says the General Assembly is my enemy,” Lang said. ‘That’s bad approach, and has led to a very difficult situation for us in the state of Illinois.

Lang noted the best governor he’s worked with in his 29 years in state office was Republican George Ryan – minus the licenses-for-bribes scandal that landed him in prison.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].