News & Announcements
Lawmakers Eye Next Steps in Wake of Budget Deal
posted: July 7, 2017
Illinois’s three-year budget saga finally reached a resolution on Thursday, July 6th, as the Illinois House voted in concurrence with the state Senate to override Governor Bruce Rauner’s total veto of the budget proposal approved by the legislature. A sufficient number of Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues to finally resolve Illinois’s longstanding budget deadlock. The General Assembly’s work is not done, however.
Workers’ compensation reform and other issues that have been nominally considered as part of the negotiations were not attached to the proposal, but they will be crucial in reforming revenue streams and appropriating funds to meet the state’s obligations. The interconnected nature of the education funding reform bill before the Senate and workers’ compensation negotiations will keep the issue in front of the legislature.
The General Assembly had previously passed a piece of workers’ compensation reform legislation on the 29th of June, but the Governor is expected to veto the measure and there has been no discussion of the legislation since the passage of the budget. Prior to the lull in negotiations, Republicans, backed by the small business community, reportedly placed tying rates to Medicare back on the table, akin to the Governor’s push for a 30% cut. Sources indicate that the Democrats have adopted a pro-workers position on the legislation, creating expectations that negotiators will coalesce behind a fraction of that original proposal.
Budget Package:
SB 6 (Appropriations)
SB 9 (Taxes)
SB 42 (Implementation)
For information on the workers compensation issue please contact Ross Weber at ross@wjweiser.com.