CHICAGO – In response to the recent staff changes in the administration of Governor Bruce Rauner state Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, released the following statement:

“After causing a near 3 year budget impasse, Bruce Rauner was overruled by rank-and-file Republican legislators in the House and Senate, as they joined Democrats in passing a balanced, bipartisan budget. Our budget funds critical services for our most vulnerable residents, ensures that schools will be able to open their doors in the fall, and begins to pay-back the unpaid bills that have racked up under Rauner’s administration.

“Rather than realizing that bipartisanship and compromise is the best way to move our state forward, the governor has doubled-down on his extreme right-wing agenda by replacing the vast majority of his staff with individuals associated with a far-right, conservative group.

“There have been multiple individuals that have been hired by the administration that have expressed extremely racist, sexist, anti-LGBT, and anti-choice views. These hires at best reflect an administration making serious mistakes in vetting new hires, and at worst reflect an administration that simply doesn’t care. The views of these individuals does not reflect who we are as a state, and does not serve to help to continue to build on the bipartisan compromise that we were able to make to end the budget crisis.

“I urge the governor to change course. The only way we can continue to move our state forward, reform state government, streamline services, and boost our state’s middle-class and economy is through bipartisan compromise. And the recent extreme-right approach he has taken is not a step that builds upon the bipartisan partnership that was made by rank-and-file members earlier this month.”