Lawmakers returned to their districts to observe the Thanksgiving holiday this week, but will return to Springfield Nov. 29 when the second week of the scheduled Veto Session convenes in Springfield.
Legislative leaders from the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Bruce Rauner, met three times last week in an attempt to find common ground on the state budget, which the Governor’s Office indicates has a deficit of roughly $5 billion with a bill backlog of nearly $14 billion projected by the end of the Fiscal Year 2016-17.
The Governor and the four legislative leaders are expected to meet again Nov. 28 to continue talks about how best to address the state’s failing fiscal condition. Currently, the state is operating on a six-month stopgap budget approved at the end of June, which is set to expire Jan. 1, 2017.
Senate Republicans continue to call on the General Assembly to enact a full-year balanced budget that fully funds schools, keeps vital state services operating to keep our communities safe, and protects all Illinoisans, including the state’s most vulnerable citizens who rely on social services and those that need health care. Republican lawmakers also stressed the need for passage of structural reforms, which include changes to the state’s workers’ comp laws, redistricting reforms and term limits for elected officials.