(WGN-AM)- With Gov. Pat Quinn threatening to veto the state budget, top Democratic leaders today said lawmakers would come back to the Capitol July 14 for a special session to address the situation.
The governor has a 1:30 p.m. news conference scheduled to talk about a veto he has planned. It comes one day after he pledged to veto the budget lawmakers sent him if they didn't come up with more money to avoid budget cuts.
Before Quinn acts, however, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton today called the special session for the middle of the month to consider how to get a budget in place for the new fiscal year that began today.
Illinois is operating without a new spending plan as Democrats who control the House and Senate have approved a budget with multibillion-dollar deficits unless the state imposes drastic cuts.
Quinn told a joint session of the House and Senate on Tuesday that he would veto what he considers a partial budget that cuts to the heart of the state's social services safety net for vulnerable citizens. Quinn threatened on Tuesday to stay all summer if necessary to pay an income tax increase to help fill the gap in the state's finances.
"The practical and only reality we have to face is that our state is in a massive deficit," Quinn said following his address. "We have to correct it. And that means getting revenue. That means asking the taxpayers to pay a higher income tax based on the ability to pay. That's not easy. That's a hard thing to do. But I think taxpayers understand that it's better to be honest about a deficit than to pretend it doesn't exist and sweep it under the rug."
In a statement today, Quinn said: "Until a budget is in place, the state has very limited authority to pay its vendors and grantees. The state, however, will continue to operate and provide essential services to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Illinois citizens, such as maintaining prisons and providing emergency services and legally-required social services. Other vendors and grantees who currently perform state services do so at the risk of not being paid. We are working toward and are hopeful that a full, fair, and balanced budget will be enacted and will allow the state to pay its vendors and grantees for the services they perform. We thank our citizens, vendors, and grantees for their service and patience during these trying times."
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he did not know how long the special session would take, and the date was picked following a review of when lawmakers are available to return to the Capitol.
"We surveyed members and tried to figure out when their schedules would allow them to come back, with the least amount of disruption to their lives," Brown said. "The president and the speaker are trying to treat members as if they're human beings and they have their own lives."
(The Chicago Tribune contributed to this story)
Get the latest news at the top and bottom of every hour on Chicago's WGN Radio 720.
The governor has a 1:30 p.m. news conference scheduled to talk about a veto he has planned. It comes one day after he pledged to veto the budget lawmakers sent him if they didn't come up with more money to avoid budget cuts.
Before Quinn acts, however, House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton today called the special session for the middle of the month to consider how to get a budget in place for the new fiscal year that began today.
Illinois is operating without a new spending plan as Democrats who control the House and Senate have approved a budget with multibillion-dollar deficits unless the state imposes drastic cuts.
Quinn told a joint session of the House and Senate on Tuesday that he would veto what he considers a partial budget that cuts to the heart of the state's social services safety net for vulnerable citizens. Quinn threatened on Tuesday to stay all summer if necessary to pay an income tax increase to help fill the gap in the state's finances.
"The practical and only reality we have to face is that our state is in a massive deficit," Quinn said following his address. "We have to correct it. And that means getting revenue. That means asking the taxpayers to pay a higher income tax based on the ability to pay. That's not easy. That's a hard thing to do. But I think taxpayers understand that it's better to be honest about a deficit than to pretend it doesn't exist and sweep it under the rug."
In a statement today, Quinn said: "Until a budget is in place, the state has very limited authority to pay its vendors and grantees. The state, however, will continue to operate and provide essential services to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Illinois citizens, such as maintaining prisons and providing emergency services and legally-required social services. Other vendors and grantees who currently perform state services do so at the risk of not being paid. We are working toward and are hopeful that a full, fair, and balanced budget will be enacted and will allow the state to pay its vendors and grantees for the services they perform. We thank our citizens, vendors, and grantees for their service and patience during these trying times."
Madigan spokesman Steve Brown said he did not know how long the special session would take, and the date was picked following a review of when lawmakers are available to return to the Capitol.
"We surveyed members and tried to figure out when their schedules would allow them to come back, with the least amount of disruption to their lives," Brown said. "The president and the speaker are trying to treat members as if they're human beings and they have their own lives."
(The Chicago Tribune contributed to this story)
Get the latest news at the top and bottom of every hour on Chicago's WGN Radio 720.
