SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Illinois General Assembly hasn't been back in Springfield since May. Besides a few socially-distanced committee hearings, the statehouse has been very quiet.
Halls of the Capitol will remain silent until January, as due to the resurgence of COVID-19. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported a seven-day rolling positivity rate of 15.1% for Region 3.
Still, Gov. JB Pritzker expressed disappointment that lawmakers are putting important discussions on hold.
"There's so much work that needs to be done for the state," Pritzker said Wednesday. "Not just about the budget, but so many other matters - criminal justice reform being one example."
The Legislative Black Caucus introduced in Illinois on September 1. After months of virtual hearings, debate on proposals has to wait. Still, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood) isn't giving up hope.
"The moment to put forth this critical agenda is now, and I know President Harmon and Speaker Madigan share our concerns and our commitment to making a difference," Lightford stated.
"I want to get things done sooner rather than later," Pritzker added. "I've been assured by the leaders that we'll get right at it as soon as we can in January."
Budget on the operating table
Lawmakers also could have addressed the large hold in the state's budget, as the General Assembly relied on borrowing $5 billion from the federal reserve. However, Illinois may never receive those funds.
The Pritzker administration also hoped to generate $1.2 billion for the budget from the graduated income tax, which failed to get enough voter support during the election.
"There's more to be done than just trimming. Now, we're going to have to make some serious and, frankly painful, cuts. Those aren't things that I can do alone," Pritzker emphasized. "The legislature has to be right there with us."
The governor plans to meet with legislative leaders soon to hash out cuts needed to alleviate some of the state's financial woes. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin feels Pritzker's suggestion of a 4% cut across state agencies could be a good start.
Lack of confidence in the Speaker
However, some Republican lawmakers feel the session cancellation follows a growing number of House Democrats speaking out against Madigan. House GOP members feel the Speaker didn't want to bring lawmakers back to Springfield when he is politically "weak."
"This shows that Speaker Madigan - if he chooses to not have veto session - doesn't want to get his caucus together because he has such an issue with not being able to have the confidence of his own caucus," Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) said Tuesday.
