After record-breaking spending on state legislative races… Democrats will retain control of both the Illinois House and Senate. That’s even after Republicans picked up at least seven seats. In the Senate, Republicans flipped two seats, including the one long held by Democrat Gary Forby in far southern Illinois. Senate Democrats, however, will maintain their veto-proof majority.That’s not the case in the House, where Republicans took five seats from Democrats. Most legislators ran unopposed. Others fended off challenges from the other party, like Republican Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, from the Springfield area."What I hope happens, as soon as tonight, is that the reset button is hit. Because we have got to take this fiscal crisis head on, and get back to work as soon as next week."
Next week is when lawmakers are due to resume session in Springfield. Most of state government is only funded through December, with a deficit estimated at $8 billion.