By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – State Senator Jason Barickman suggests that legislative leaders and the governor get out of the way and let the rest of the lawmakers hammer out a budget.
“I think rank and file members want to see this lengthy stalemate resolved,” Barickman told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin, “and I think we’re willing to set aside whatever political and personal disagreements we may all have, roll up our sleeves and say how do we do this.”
Barickman says rank and file lawmakers made progress on a budget until House Speaker Michael Madigan became involved.
“When Madigan specifically entered those discussions, I felt we took a big step backward, not forward,” said Barickman.
The Bloomington Republican says the increasingly dire financial condition of schools will probably force the legislature to agree on a spending plan, adding that fully funding schools must be the first step in any budget agreement. Barickman says the GOP has already put a school funding proposal on the table.
“There’s nothing complicated about it,” said Barickman. “There’s nothing attached to it that’s hostile. It basically says here’s the money that goes to the schools, fully fund them. That should be easy to do and embrace and pass.”
Greg Halbleib can be reached at greg@wjbc.com.
