As Illinois edges toward the end of a fourth month without a budget, lawmakers will return to the capitol. Partisan fighting has made a deal evasive. In tomorrow's session, expect a lot of talk about the state budget but not a lot of action.
Senate President John Cullerton's spokeswoman RikeeshaPhelon says the chamber has reached the point where there's not much floor action to take, until there's an agreement.
"The Senate's passed a number of legislative measures to address the budget crisis and those measures are pending in the House."
That includes a plan to reverse cuts to a child care program that benefits low-income, working parents. But House Democrats aren't likely to have the votes.
They're down at least one after a member died last month; her replacement is expected to be named Tuesday night, too late to be in Springfield for the one-day session. Republicans have stood firm against reversing the child care cuts, saying Illinois doesn't have the money.
The House is also set to take a vote on whether Democratic State Representative Frank Mautino should be the state's next Auditor General, per the recommendation of a bipartisan committee.
A committee is scheduled to debate Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's property tax plan. And another House committee plans to focus on why Governor Bruce Rauner's new state schools superintendent has been allowed to keep a pension perk.
