Democrats in the Illinois Senate say they want Republican support for a partial state spending plan. The proposal would free up more than $800-million for human services and higher education, neither of which have been fully funded since summer 2015.
Republican Senator Karen McConnaughay, from St. Charles, says she and her colleagues are open to working together. But she’s wary of easing the pressure on lawmakers to pass a complete budget.
“We really need to discipline ourselves to get to a balanced budget, and avoid shortcuts or temporary solutions that are just once again more band-aids on a problem that we just cannot continue to escape."The legislation passed the House last month, but without Republican support. Governor Bruce Rauner has criticized what he called another “stopgap” spending plan, saying it won’t lead to a balanced budget.
