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

“Today, Democrats and Republicans stood together to take a crucial step toward reaching a compromise that ends the budget crisis by passing a fully funded state budget in a bipartisan way. While none could say this was an easy decision, it was the right decision; it’s clear that a budget package that cuts billions of dollars in state spending and also provides new revenue is the only path forward. I’m grateful legislators worked together to provide for our schools, protect medical care for the frail elderly, services for survivors of domestic abuse and others in great need.

“There is more work to be done, and we will continue working with Republicans to ensure the issues still on the table are fully resolved.”

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

“President Cullerton and I met earlier this morning to discuss a way to end the Rauner budget crisis. We were scheduled to meet together with Leaders Radogno and Durkin. We were deeply disappointed that both Republican leaders chose to cancel their participation in our meeting, rather than sit down with us and work to advance a balanced budget. It is difficult to move forward on a bipartisan budget when both Republican leaders refuse to meet.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Parents and teachers demanded Gov. Bruce Rauner return to the table and negotiate an honest budget that funds schools at a budget hearing Thursday.

“If my children’s school isn’t able to open this fall, I put the blame squarely on Governor Rauner and his refusal to negotiate,” said Camille O’Quinn of Harvey. “By blocking the budget for over 700 days, Governor Rauner is not only putting our schools at risk, he’s jeopardizing entire communities that look to schools as major employers. He’s denying our children the safety of a classroom and literally putting young people out onto the streets. He’s selling our children’s future short. My kids deserve better than a governor who thinks they’re a bargaining chips in his political game.”

Members of the House Appropriations-Elementary & Secondary Education Committee listened to parents, teachers and advocates from the south suburbs, Metro East, central and southern Illinois explain how the Rauner budget crisis has put schools throughout Illinois at risk of being unable to reopen in the fall. Schools throughout the state have indicated they would be unable to open for a new school year without state funding.

While Democrats have pushed the governor into signing a budget for elementary and high schools throughout the governor’s impasse, Rauner has indicated will not sign another such measure. Instead, the governor is backing another unbalanced budget, and refusing real bipartisan negotiation.

“Over the course of five budget hearings held by House Democrats since it became clear that the governor’s manufactured crisis would extend beyond the spring session, legislators have heard real people from every corner of the state explain how Bruce Rauner’s budget crisis is putting lives at risk, threatening their businesses and their economic security, and denying opportunities. Now, the governor is even holding some of our most fundamental institutions hostage: our schools,” said House Speaker Michael J. Madigan. “Through it all, the governor has dismissed these people, called them ‘props’ and continued to substitute his fake budgets for real compromise and negotiation. It needs to end. Governor Rauner, it’s time to listen to the parents, teachers, business owners, seniors, survivors, and their advocates who are calling on you to return to the table and do what it takes to pass a real, honest, bipartisan budget.”

CHICAGO – State Rep. Greg Harris, lead budget negotiator for the House Democratic Caucus, issued the following statement Tuesday, following Gov. Bruce Rauner’s speech:

“Democrats are returning to Springfield in hopes that the governor is finally ready to compromise on a budget. But, even now, the governor is talking out of both sides of his mouth: As he holds a campaign speech ostensibly calling for unity, he’s also bankrolling negative attack ads and mailers against House Democrats and the very people he is calling on to work with.

“House Democrats have said for two years that we believe a resolution to Governor Rauner’s manufactured budget crisis must be our top priority. We have continually looked for ways to compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, and have worked to find common ground so the governor will finally focus on a budget.

“At the governor’s request, House Democrats have voted to cut property taxes, reform workers’ compensation, improve the business climate, sell the Thompson Center and reform the state procurement code. With each attempt to meet Governor Rauner half way, we urged him to return to the table to negotiate a budget. Sadly, the governor refused each time.

“The budget supported by Governor Rauner and legislative Republicans is not balanced. It’s not the honest budget Illinois taxpayers deserve. It’s clear that real negotiations and real compromise are needed.

“Despite the repeated campaign attacks against House Democrats, we have continued to prioritize a balanced budget. In the weeks since the spring session adjourned, we’ve held a series of budget hearings where we’ve heard directly from the victims of Governor Rauner’s budget crisis. From the parents of children with developmental disabilities, to survivors of sexual assault, the men and women speaking out are in agreement: the governor needs to put aside his extreme agenda and compromise. The governor dismissed these people as ‘props’ instead of recognizing who they are – victims of his budget crisis.

“Governor Rauner, your actions speak louder than your rhetoric. After more than 700 days of blocking compromise, it’s up to you to prove that you are finally ready to put the needs of Illinois families ahead of political games and start working in good faith on a budget.”

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Video of Rep. Harris statement is available at: https://livestream.com/accounts/954563/events/7529393/ and  https://www.facebook.com/HouseDemsIL/

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.”

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

“There is no more urgent matter facing the state than the passage of a comprehensive, balanced budget, and House Democrats will continue our efforts to address this challenge, end this destructive impasse and close the Rauner budget deficit. The House Democratic Budget Working Group led by Representative Greg Harris will hold public hearings and continue working in June to prepare a budget for the coming fiscal year. The first hearing will be held on June 8 in Chicago.

“The governor’s reckless strategy of holding the budget hostage to create leverage for his corporate agenda that pads the profits of large corporations and insurance companies has for the third year left Illinois without a budget at the end of the May legislative session. He has put our schools at risk of being unable to open, denied care to victims of domestic violence, kept tens of thousands of seniors from receiving Meals on Wheels, and tripled Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills. This cannot continue.

“Where we can compromise with the governor without hurting middle-class families, House Democrats have consistently advanced measures that address the governor’s requests so we can get down to the work of passing a balanced budget. House Democrats have:

• Voted to provide property tax relief to homeowners;
• Put forward reforms to the workers’ compensation system that will ensure employers see the savings from reform;
• Introduced an agenda of economic reforms that make Illinois a better place to do business while also lifting up middle-class families, not tearing them down;
• Voted at the governor’s request to streamline the state procurement process;
• Voted to sell the Thompson Center.

“I have directed members of the House Democratic leadership team to meet with the governor and seek common ground on his other proposals. To date, the governor has refused to meet.

“We remain ready to work with the governor and find common ground whenever he is ready to return to the table and work in good faith.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Speaker Michael J. Madigan issued the following statement Monday after the House voted to pass Senate Bill 8, a package of reforms negotiated by Gov. Bruce Rauner to help streamline acquisition of goods and services, reducing costs to the state:

“Today’s passage of a procurement reform package requested by Governor Rauner is another instance in which House Democrats have followed through on our commitment to work cooperatively with the governor to reduce the cost of government and address the issues facing our state.

“This bill is the result of negotiation between legislators and the administration. In January, I directed the House State Government Administration Committee to thoroughly evaluate the governor’s procurement proposal, and that committee approved the governor’s plan with bipartisan support.

“The biggest issue facing Illinois remains the state budget. As the governor continues to hold other aspects of his agenda as pre-conditions to his cooperation on a full balanced budget, I renew my request that the governor immediately focus on working with House Democrats to find common ground and pass a budget for our state. Today’s agreement is proof that House Democrats are willing to make compromises to move Illinois forward.”

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

“For nearly two years, families in our communities have lost critical services as a result of the budget impasse. Educators, social service agencies and countless others have warned that Illinois will be dealing with the consequences of this impasse for many years to come. In the years preceding this impasse, we were paying down the backlog of unpaid old bills and had the bill backlog down to $4.5 billion. The bill backlog today stands at over $13 billion due to the lack of a state budget. The state’s backlog has tripled, and bond rating agencies have made it clear that the lack of a state budget weighs foremost in their minds when evaluating Illinois’ financial standing. For these reasons and due to the impact this impasse is having on every Illinoisan, House Democrats have been resolute in our belief that all legislators and the governor must recognize the budget as the most important issue facing our state.

“While we stand firm that the budget – and the budget alone – must be our top priority, it is also our desire to work cooperatively with the governor. To this end, I am appointing Representatives Barbara Flynn Currie, Lou Lang, Arthur Turner and Jay Hoffman to work with the governor to identify areas of his agenda where compromise can be reached. The House has taken action on several of the governor’s requests, and this group will be able to discuss his further proposals and consider how they would affect the state.

“It is our strong desire that Governor Rauner join us in putting the budget first. By showing the governor that House Democrats stand ready to work with him in good faith, it is my hope that he will return to the negotiating table and work with us to end the budget crisis.”

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – In effort to protect critical local services from the effect of the state budget crisis, state Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, is sponsoring legislation to help fund programs and services administered by cities and townships.

“Without the proper state funding many local municipalities and governments struggle to continue services to local families,” Greenwood said. “The budget crisis has made a mess of our state, and we need to do everything we can to help local cities and townships continue to provide for people in need.”

Greenwood is sponsoring House Bill 617, which would require the state to continue distributing funds to local units of government even without a state budget. Local forms of government receive funding through the state and local sales taxes, and motor fuel tax that is collected. Additionally, the Metro-East Mass Transit District relies on these funds to provide local commuters with transit services. Many counties also depend on the Motor Fuel Tax to pay for road construction and maintenance.

“Despite the impasse, the state is still collecting these funds, and it would be a disservice to local taxpayers if these dollars are not returned to our communities where they are desperately needed to sustain important services,” said Greenwood. “This legislation will ensure local forms of government can continue providing services and resources to residents despite the budget crisis.”

House Bill 617 is currently awaiting assignment to a House committee for consideration during the spring legislative session.