A solution for dealing with Illinois' 100 billion dollars of pension debt continues to elude legislators, even as the spring session rapidly approaches its end. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn Friday. IPR’S Amanda Vinicky reports.
Lawmakers have taken votes to deal with the pension debt. Problem is the House passed a plan that Speaker Mike Madigan says will save more money. And the Senate passed a different plan that his fellow Democrat, President John Cullerton, says is better because it's more likely to be upheld by the courts.
Neither side is backing down. Cullerton says Senate Democrats will meet today to discuss what's next:
"Our options are limited but we'll try to reach an agreement."
Democrats have more than enough members to pass legislation without Republican votes, though it's doubtful they could do it on a controversial issue like pensions.
Still, it leaves GOP Rep. Jim Durkin, of Western Springs, questioning:
“What’s the point of having a supermajority, the Democrats in both the House and the Senate, if they can't agree on the most troublesome issue facing the state of Illinois."