Illinois legislators gathered all day Tuesday to deal with a new gun law then promptly adjourned without taking action on the state's pensions. As IPR’S Amanda Vinicky reports that sets the stage for another showdown between the governor and the General Assembly.
Yesterday was the deadline Gov. Pat Quinn had given legislators for getting a pension overhaul to his desk.
Lawmakers involved in pension talks say they're edging closer to a deal, but they're not there quite yet. They say there's no hurry it get done right now. A new law wouldn't take effect until next year. And so on Tuesday, when they finished debating gun control:
(((House and Senate adjourn)))
Although legislators were already making their way back to their districts, Quinn wasn't ready to concede defeat:
"Well, we'll give them until midnight, you know I think it's important that they have the full amount of time to enact it."
Quinn wouldn't say what's coming next. One thought is that the Governor will veto legislators' salaries out of the budget. When asked, Quinn said:
"We will be working on that this week"
... by which a spokeswoman says he merely meant that that part of the budget is under review. Illinois is already more than a week into the fiscal year.