An attempt to reach a deal on Governor Bruce Rauner's pro-business, anti-labor demands isn't working out for House Democrats, who are set to go it alone on a new state budget. That's the takeaway from a meeting between Rauner and the legislative leaders Wednesday morning.
Republicans -- led byRauner-- say they won't increase taxes to balance the budget until they get fundamental economic changes.
To that end, bipartisan groups of legislators have been meeting in private on the governor's agenda.
House Speaker Michael Madigan says he told Rauner "that he and his agents are not being persuasive in the working groups."
Madigan says the governor ought to try to be more persuasive. Rauner, in turn, dismissed a fresh Democratic budget plan, which Madigan indicated could come before the House as early as Wednesday afternoon, as "phony" and $7 billion out of balance.
GOP Senate Leader Christine Radogno says it's ridiculous.
"If they allow this to go through, they - the Democrats - and those that follow that advice are leading the state over the cliff," she said.
The plan leaves huge sections of state spending up to court orders, where were put in place throughout the stalemate that's left Illinois without a budget for nearly 11 months.
The leaders' meeting in Springfield was the third this calendar year; it lasted less than an hour.
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