SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Wednesday after Standard & Poor’s reacted positively to passage of a bipartisan balanced budget:

“S&P’s action today is a strong signal that the balanced budget enacted by Republicans and Democrats is an important step in the right direction. At the end of June, I wrote to the rating agencies and asked that they temporarily withhold judgment and give legislators more time to enact a budget, and I’m grateful for the legislators on both sides of the aisle who used this time to work together and make the difficult decisions needed to start getting Illinois back on track.

“There is more work to be done, and it’s clear from S&P’s statement that rating agencies, like all Illinois residents, are hoping Governor Rauner will work in good faith with legislators to address these challenges rather than rejecting compromise by turning further to the extreme right.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, is renewing her negotiation on a budget that does not burden Illinois taxpayers and does not rely on dishonest and unviable savings.

“The Senate budget is not the honest plan Illinois taxpayers need, and we aren’t going to get anywhere until the governor stops campaigning, stops dictating and starts negotiating,” Harper said. “All sides need to sit down and finalize an honest, balanced deal that cuts waste, protects critical services, generates new revenue without harming Illinois’s middle class.”

While some politicians want to push forward on an unbalanced Senate budget plan, Harper is calling for bipartisan negotiation on a more straightforward deal. The Senate plan does not close the Rauner budget deficit and caries a number phantom savings and other budgetary gimmicks that will cost taxpayers in the long run. The Senate proposal authorizes billions of dollars in new borrowing, but does not fulfill obligatory payments required to repay this debt. The proposal also relies on unforeseen savings from a pension bill that is not yet law and a proposed increase to state employee insurance premiums which has not been agreed to by employees themselves.

Harper is fighting to restore funding for life-saving programs like breast cancer screenings, services for the developmentally disabled and victims of domestic violence, that the Senate’s plan cuts millions of dollars from.

Harper also expressed concern that the Senate’s plan does not appropriate adequate early childhood education funds to meet federal guidelines, and fails to properly fund critical services necessary to help children achieve their full potential. Additionally, the Senate’s proposal contains only a portion of the funding needed to sustain MAP grants, which provides support for more than 130,000 Illinois students to attend college.

“The Senate’s plan just doesn’t cut it and needs to be revisited. What we need is the governor to come back to the table and negotiate a budget that all sides can agree to and that gives taxpayers a fair deal, instead of saddling them with more debt and taxes with no hope of paying for it,” said Harper. “It is time for the governor to stop playing political games and forcing everyday Illinoisans to suffer as a result of his budget hold up.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – House Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement, Thursday:

“We have stated unequivocally that a resolution to the governor’s budget crisis—which has resulted in eight credit downgrades and tripled the state’s debt—must be our top priority. Wherever we can compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, Democrats have worked to find common ground so we can get the governor to work with us and pass a balanced budget, but he has refused to do so. Per the governor’s request, House Democrats have voted to cut property taxes, reform workers’ compensation, make changes that will improve the business climate and level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses, reform the state procurement code and sell the Thompson Center. With each attempt to meet Governor Rauner half way, we urged him to return to the table to negotiate a state budget. The governor refused.

“Since the adjournment of the spring session, Democrats have continued our work on the budget. At a budget hearing this month, legislators listened to mothers of children with developmental disabilities, including one woman whose son had to be institutionalized because the governor’s crisis has blocked access to in-home care. A survivor of sexual assault called on the governor to come back to the table and end the crisis. Those who spoke were in agreement: People’s lives are on the line, and it’s time to act. The governor responded by calling them ‘props’ and dismissing the entire hearing as a ‘sham.’ Casting aside those most directly affected by Governor Rauner’s budget crisis is no way to move forward.

“House Democrats will continue our work on the budget from Springfield, but as Governor Rauner has met each of our attempts to date with refusal, it’s clear that the onus is on the governor to show that he is finally serious about working in good faith to end the crisis he has manufactured.”

CHICAGO – Parents worried their children could be exposed to lead in public school drinking water, and residents who may be unable to heat and cool their homes during extreme weather were among the citizens calling on Gov. Bruce Rauner to end his 700-day budget impasse Wednesday at a budget hearing in Chicago.

“Legislators are hearing directly from the victims of Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis, and their message is clear: It’s time for the governor to end this impasse,” said House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. “While the governor wants to see these people as ‘props’ and calls their stories a ‘sham,’ House Democrats will continue to work to build consensus to end budget impasse.”

Legislators on the House Appropriations-General Services Committee heard testimony from parents who expressed outrage that the governor’s budget crisis might prevent the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency from being able to effectively screen for lead in drinking water. Recently, dangerous levels of lead were discovered in a number of public schools, prompting outcry from parents.

“If there were even a hint that the drinking water in the schools Governor Rauner and his wealthy friends send their children to, I’m sure the governor spared no expense to fix the problem, and waste no time patting himself on the back in front of TV cameras. But when it’s actually happening in my neighborhood, to my children, Bruce Rauner would rather play games than do anything,” said Emma Jones, a resident of Chicago’s South Side whose children attend a school where high levels of lead were recently reported. “Our children’s lives are just as important as yours are, governor. But our children’s lives are at risk because you won’t do your job.”

Rauner’s budget crisis has also jeopardized funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps tens of thousands of Illinois citizens—including homebound elderly residents—cope with extreme heat and cold. Without this important service, low-income families could have a more difficult time finding the money to afford their rent, put food on the table, and provide other necessities.

“Governor Rauner has no idea what families like ours go through,” said Isaiah Spencer, a resident of Chicago who relies on LIHEAP to heat and cool his home during dangerous weather conditions. “The governor needs to stop using families like mine as pawns in his games. The governor needs to do his job and negotiate a budget.”

Rauner has insisted legislators rubber stamp his changes to pad the profits of big corporations and further enrich wealthy CEOs and big insurance companies before he will negotiate a budget. Democrats have worked to compromise with the governor in order to get down to the business of passing a balanced budget. While Rauner has talked about a property tax freeze, House Democrats went further and voted to cut property taxes. Acting on the governor’s demands, Democrats have passed significant reforms to the workers’ compensation system, voted to sell the Thompson Center and reformed the state procurement system. Democrats worked to pass a package of economic reforms that levels the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses in our communities and invests in businesses that invest in Illinois. But while Democrats have worked to find common ground with the governor the items he holds as pre-conditions to negotiating a state budget, the governor has refused to come back to the table.

“Where we can compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, we’ve worked to find common ground,” Madigan said. “Working families, the elderly, students and their parents and so many more are being directly harmed by Governor Rauner’s budget crisis.”

Speaker Madigan: Speaker Madigan: House Democrats to Continue Working to Find Common Ground with Rauner and toward State Budget

Beiser: Beiser Urges Governor, Legislators to Work Together, Pass Budget

Burke: Burke Urging Governor to Compromise and Pass a Fair and Responsible Budget

Chapa LaVia: Chapa LaVia: Governor Needs to Show Good Faith and Negotiate On Budget

Conroy: Conroy Committed to Working Through Summer to End Budget Impasse

Conyears-Ervin: Conyears-Ervin Releases Statement on Budget Crisis

Costello: Costello Releases Statement on Budget Work

D’Amico: D’Amico Urges Compromise Calls on Governor to Negotiate in Good-Faith

Gordon-Booth: Gordon-Booth Pushes for Budget Negotiations

Halpin: Halpin Calls for Better Budget to Protect Quad-City Families

Harper: Harper: We’ve Been Working With Your Demands Governor, Now Work With Us To Pass A Fair Budget Now

Hernandez: Hernandez Calls on Governor to Compromise, Highlights Impasse Effect on Latino Communities

Hoffman: Hoffman Stresses Need To Find Compromise, Calls For Renewed Negotiations On A Balanced Budget

Jones: Jones Demands Governor Rauner to Return to the Negotiating Table

Kifowit: Kifowit Focused on Ending Budget Impasse

Moylan: Moylan Urges Governor to Return to Negotiating Table, Calls for Fair and Responsible Budget

Mussman: Mussman: Governor Needs to Return to the Table to Resolve Budget Impasse

Phelps: Phelps Calls on Rauner to Come Back to Negotiating Table for Budget

Scherer: Scherer To Continue Push For Full Budget, Calls On Rauner To Resume Negotiations

Stratton: Stratton Ready to Do Whatever Necessary to Pass Budget; Calls on Governor Return to Negotiating Table

Stuart: Stuart Committed to Working Through Summer to End Budget Impasse

Tabares: Tabares Urges Governor to Compromise, Pledges to Continue Working to End Budget Impasse

Turner: Turner Calls on Governor to Come to Table, Negotiate with Legislators

Wallace: Wallace Calls for Further Budget Negotiation for a Better, Balanced Deal for Taxpayers

Walsh: Walsh Issues Statement Urging Rauner To Return To Bargaining Table

Welch: Welch to Governor: Drop Demands, Negotiate on Budget

Yingling: Yingling Ready to Work All Summer to Pass Budget; Calls on Governor to Return to Negotiating Table

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, released the following statement on Wednesday:

“I am frustrated that the governor continues to play partisan games, all the while the state’s debt burden on taxpayers grows larger every day. His lack of urgency to pass a balanced budget has resulted in Illinois’ bill backlog tripling to an unprecedented $14.3 billion. The back and forth must stop. It’s time for the governor to meet the General Assembly half way and a pass budget.

“In this legislative session, we worked to find common ground on non-budgetary items that the governor held as pre-conditions to negotiating a state budget. He talked about freezing property taxes, and I voted to cut property taxes for all Illinois residents. He called on the General Assembly for changes to the worker’s compensation system, and we delivered by passing real reforms that would ensure that savings are passed on to our local small- and medium-sized businesses, instead of being used to pad big insurance companies’ profits.

“Compromise is the only way to resolve our problems and pass an honest, balanced budget. I will continue working throughout the summer to put an end to this impasse, and I urge the governor to work with us on a compassionate and cost-effective path forward.”

Crespo represents the 44th District, which includes all or portions of Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Streamwood.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Analysis of the proposed budget recently passed by the Illinois Senate shows that further negotiations are needed to craft a better deal for taxpayers, state Rep. Katie Stuart said Monday.

“As a taxpayer, I want an end to the governor’s budget crisis, an end to Springfield’s games, and an honest, balanced budget that provides for our communities,” Stuart said. “We can’t afford another budget built on phony savings and short-sighted thinking. It’s clear we need to bring everyone back to the table and get serious about passing an honest budget.”

Stuart is concerned that the Senate plan does not close the Rauner budget deficit. Stuart and House appropriations committees reviewing the budget proposal passed by the Senate have found a number phantom savings and other budgetary gimmicks that will cost taxpayers in the long run. The Senate proposal would authorize billions of dollars in new borrowing, but does not budget the payments needed to repay this debt. The proposal also includes savings from a pension bill that is not yet law and would only achieve short term savings while increasing costs down the road. It also assumes savings from a proposed increase to state employee insurance premiums which has not been agreed to by employees themselves.

While Stuart has fought to restore funding for breast cancer screenings, services for the developmentally disabled and victims of domestic violence, the Senate’s budget plan cuts millions of dollars from these programs.

Stuart also expressed concern that the Senate’s plan fails to appropriate adequate early childhood education funds to meet federal guidelines. The plan lacks the proper funding for critical services necessary to helping children achieve their full potential. Additionally, the Senate’s proposal contains only a portion of the funding needed to sustain MAP grants, which help 130,000 Illinois students attend college.

“There is too much at stake to hastily put together a deceptive budget that includes phony savings and will cost taxpayers in the short and long-term,” Stuart said. “I’m asking members from both sides of the aisle to come back to the table so that we can put together an honest, balanced budget for the people we represent.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – After a comprehensive review of the Senate’s budget proposal, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Belleville, is calling for renewed negotiations for a balanced and full state budget to help protect vital services and higher education in Illinois.

“After taking time to review the Senate’s proposal for a state budget, it’s not the budget that the people of Illinois deserve,” Hoffman said. “We need a full and balanced budget in our state, and this proposal is not it.  It places an undue burden on middle-class taxpayers and does not provide for a truly balanced budget.”

Hoffman is concerned the Senate plan does not close the Rauner budget deficit. Hoffman and House appropriations committees reviewing the budget proposal passed by the Senate have found a number of phantom savings and other budgetary gimmicks that will cost taxpayers in the long run. The Senate proposal would authorize billions of dollars in new borrowing, but does not budget the payments needed to repay this debt. It also assumes savings from a proposed increase to state employee insurance premiums which has not been agreed to by employees themselves.

While Hoffman has fought to restore funding for breast cancer screenings, services for the developmentally disabled and victims of domestic violence, the Senate’s budget plan cuts millions of dollars from these programs.

Hoffman also expressed concern that the Senate’s plan does not appropriate adequate early childhood education funds to meet federal guidelines, failing to properly fund critical services necessary to helping children achieve their full potential. Additionally, the Senate’s proposal contains only a portion of the funding needed to sustain MAP grants, which help 130,000 Illinois students attend college.

“The people of our state want a full and balanced budget that provides real savings for middle class families,” said Hoffman. “We can’t afford a budget built on short-term thinking and phantom savings. I’m calling on Governor Rauner to come back and negotiate with us for a budget that works for everyone in our state and provides real and accountable savings for the state of Illinois.”