Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for August 14, 2007 IL BUDGET BATTLE CONTINUES

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch...

Blagojevich plans budget shifts

By Kevin McDermott
POST-DISPATCH SPRINGFIELD BUREAU CHIEF

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced today that he plans to unilaterally cut hundreds of millions of dollars in "pork" from a proposed new state budget -- presumably including planned local projects throughout the Metro East -- and use the money to boost healthcare availability for Illinoisans.

The surprise announcement apparently ends Illinois’ long state budget impasse and averts a looming government shutdown, while providing part of the healthcare funding increases that the Democratic governor has long sought.

But will almost certainly aggravate the already-poisoned atmosphere with his fellow Democrats who control the Legislature, most of whom had local street-and-sidewalk type projects among the $500 million in cuts that Blagojevich plans to make from the spending plan.

In Illinois, the governor can veto parts of bills while leaving the rest of them intact. The Legislature last week sent Blagojevich -- over his objections -- a $59 billion spending plan that contained more than $150 million in local projects often referred to as "pork", and none of the big new spending he has sought for healthcare.

That bill passed last week by veto-proof majorities in both chambers. However, Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, who joined in Blagojevich’s Statehouse announcement today, said he has agreed not to allow the Senate to consider overriding Blagojevich’s amendatory veto.

The announcement came a day after Blagojevich stunned much of official Springfield with his late-night approval Monday of a legislative pay raise that he had previously vowed to veto - a pay raise that Jones has strongly supported.