Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner says he’s optimistic lawmakers will pass a budget by the end of the month. Even though Rauner recently canceled a meeting to negotiate the budget with Democratic leaders. He says the back-up plan is to pass a temporary budget, but he says Democrats would have to pass at least two of his policy items along with it.
“Every reform that we’re pushing has strong bipartisan support, that’s why I’m optimistic in the end that members of the democratic caucus in the general assembly will come around and vote for some of these reforms.”
Rauner says freezing property taxes and placing term limits on elected officials are quote “easy votes” Democrats have said the governor shouldn’t tie his political reforms to the budget process. The current budget expires at the end of the month.