BLOOMINGTON Gov. Bruce Rauner expressed optimism on Wednesday about an agreement being reached on a balanced budget for Illinois, but he declined to speculate on when that might happen. <\/p>\n
I don't think anybody knows, Rauner said during a meeting with The Pantagraph's editorial board, but he added, I'm heartened by for the first time both sides of the aisle acknowledging we should have significant structural change to have a balanced budget. <\/p>\n
They're talking about the right issues, including pension reform, workers' compensation, property taxes and a new school funding formula, he said. <\/p>\n
He applauded a measure recently passed by the Illinois House that would freeze property taxes unless voters approve an increase. <\/p>\n
Describing it as real tax reform, Rauner said, I hope it gets to my desk. <\/p>\n
Without such reforms to control government growth and increase economic growth, Illinois cannot sustain a balanced budget, said Rauner, repeating what he said earlier in the day at a news conference at Heartland Community College in Normal. <\/p>\n
It's simple math, he said. <\/p>\n
We could get a balanced budget through cuts, said Rauner, but, it would be very painful. It's not my first choice, and it wouldn't be a long-term solution. <\/p>\n
We can't cut our way to faster economic growth, he said. We can't tax our way out. <\/p>\n
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan recently filed a motion in court to stop payment of state employees until a budget has been approved. Employees have continued to be paid under a preliminary court injunction Madigan is seeking to have dissolved. <\/p>\n
Rauner is urging Comptroller Susana Mendoza to fight against Madigan's move, as her predecessor, Rauner appointee Leslie Munger, did. But so far, Rauner said, he hasn't seen much of a commitment to do so from Mendoza. <\/p>\n
Munger, who lost the November election to Mendoza, was named a deputy governor last week by Rauner. <\/p>\n
Blocking state employee pay likely would lead to a government shutdown. <\/p>\n
A shutdown would be terrible, said Rauner. It would play into the hands of those who want a stopgap budget and a big tax hike. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Rauner administration still has been unable to reach a contract agreement with the state's largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31. The council's approximately 35,000 members are in the midst of a strike-authorization vote. <\/p>\n
Although a state labor board ruled that the two sides are at an impasse, which would allow the state to implement its last contract offer, union officials blocked that in court. <\/p>\n
Rauner said the delay is costing the state $2.3 million to $2.9 million a day. <\/p>\n
The governor has reached agreements with most of the other state employee unions and said the contract offered to AFSCME is similar to those offered to other unions. <\/p>\n
In explaining the standoff, he said AFSCME \"is used to getting their way.\" <\/p>\n
Follow Lenore Sobota on Twitter: @pg_sobota <\/p>\n
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Rauner 'heartened' by progress in Springfield - Bloomington Pantagraph<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BLOOMINGTON Gov. Bruce Rauner expressed optimism on Wednesday about an agreement being reached on a balanced budget for Illinois, but he declined to speculate on when that might happen Continue reading