Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner says arguments among lawmakers have slowed down negotiations toward filling a budget gap. State lawmakers approved a budget that relies on a higher income tax rate. But Governor Bruce Rauner won the office on a platform of lower taxes.
Now Illinois faces an immediate $1.6 billion dollar budget hole. Rauner says lawmakers are talking about sweeping funds from some programs into more “essential” ones.
"But they’re arguing among themselves what’s non-essential."
Rauner has said for weeks that he’s close to resolving the issue with legislative leaders.
"Democracy is a horrible system except compared to the alternatives. It’s just, it’s a process."
Rauner says he offered to make the cuts and take the blame, but lawmakers refused after they saw his sweeping cuts proposed to next year’s budget.