(Springfield, IL) — April 11, 2011. Though Illinois Senate Republicans are taking steps to work with Senate Democrats on the fiscal year 2012 Illinois budget, the GOP’s budget point person would however like to see the Illinois General Assembly fail to reach an agreement on time with Governor Pat Quinn, forcing the legislature into a summer overtime session.
In an interview with Illinois Statehouse News reporter Ben Yount, State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine) telegraphed Illinois Senate GOP’s desire for the lack of agreement among Quinn and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Cullerton).
“The governor can line-item reduce spending, he can’t increase it. … He can veto the whole budget and have us down here all summer,” Murphy said. “But then he’s going to need a super-majority to pass the budget. I would frankly relish the idea of having a bigger impact on the budget in June or July than we would have in May.”
After May 31, the passage of the Illinois fiscal year 2012 budget, which begins on July 1, would require a 3/5th majority vote by both legislative chambers, rather than a simple majority, making GOP votes indispensable for any budget agreement.
Is the GOP strategy to play rope-a-dope with the Democrats in order to run out the clock?
Stay tuned.
Gov. Pat Quinn
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