The Illinois Senate has scheduled a do-over for some pieces of legislation that are part of the so-called grand bargain budget compromise. Democrats who control the Senate used a procedure to move bills that have already been approved by the Senate back into position for votes again.
The grand bargain is a package Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been negotiating to break a two-year budget stalemate with GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner. None of the bills goes into effect unless all are approved.
The two sides have been unable to agree on the key issues but have OK'd six measures to expand legalized gambling, consolidate local governments, fund state operations for the current fiscal year that ends June 30, and more.
Democrats wouldn't say why they made the move. Republican Sen. Dave Syverson of Rockford says Democrats might be tweaking language or readying the measures to be approved apart from the grand bargain.
