Senate Democrats Again Say "NO" to Reform

Will They Reject a Property Tax Freeze Next?

SPRINGFIELD - After rejecting compromise worker's compensation reforms yesterday, legislators controlled by Mike Madigan just voted down compromise lawsuit reform legislation that will help create more jobs in Illinois.

At 2 p.m. a Senate committee will consider compromise Property Tax Freeze legislation.

Will they continue to side with Speaker Madigan over Illinois taxpayers and add that to their growing list of rejected compromises?

Chicago Tribune: Senate Democrats block Rauner's worker's compensation measure

Senate Democrats on Wednesday joined their House counterparts in displaying a united front against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's legislative wish list, blocking his plan to overhaul the workers' compensation system...

The salvo from the Senate mirrors earlier action in the House...

Democrats balk at Rauner's attempt to tie the budget to approval of his agenda, saying they should be handled separately. But the governor's office argues his proposals are "fundamentally linked" to getting the state's massive deficit under control by making it easier for businesses to create jobs, which would in turn bring in more tax revenue to pay for government services.

"Taxpayers are fed up pouring more and more of their hard-earned money into a broken ... system," said Richard Goldberg, Rauner's deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs. "Passing fundamental structural reform to grow our economy will have a lasting impact on our state's future."

Senate Democrats aired Rauner's proposal to overhaul the workers' compensation system in a committee Wednesday, but blocked the measure from moving forward. The panel heard testimony from a half-dozen supporters who warned businesses would leave the state if lawmakers failed to cut costs that are far more expensive in Illinois compared to other states.

"As these rates are going up in Illinois, I look just eight miles to the east and see Indiana's rates going down," said Anthony Sambo, who runs a steel fabrication business in Blue Island.

AP: Illinois Senate rejects Rauner's priorities

Illinois Democrats agreed to give some of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's priority reforms a platform Wednesday but still voted them down in an exercise that could further fuel a politically charged standoff extending into the summer. A Senate committee voted along party lines to reject Rauner's proposed changes to worker's compensation laws, and other committees were expected to do the same with a proposed property tax freeze and changes to the state's civil justice system. The votes came the day after the House passed a large chunk of bills comprising a $36.3 billion budget, backed by Democrats, which would spend more than $3 billion above what the state is expected to take in in revenue this year.

AP: Democrats shelve Rauner plan to privatize business creation

House Democrats have abandoned Gov. Bruce Rauner's idea to privatize the state's business-development agency but are moving ahead with Speaker Michael Madigan's plan to make the state's shrine to Abraham Lincoln a separate agency. Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie of Chicago on Wednesday positioned the plan to break off the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for a floor vote. It does not include the Republican governor's initiative to give the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's business-growth tasks to a non-government agency. Supporters had argued that change could cut deals and offer incentives more quickly.

Lee Newspapers: Rauner's hiring overhaul stalls

Gov. Bruce Rauner's push to clean up state hiring rules is on hold...The failure of the measure to advance is among a growing list of Rauner-led initiatives that have been shelved or turned back by the Democrat controlled Legislature. Rauner's office said the Republican governor will continue to press forward on getting new rules in place."By protecting illegal political hires, Democrats are proving to the people of Illinois that they don't care at all about reforming anything that's broken in state government," spokesman Lance Trover said. "We've made it clear we want reform..."

During the Quinn era, reports found more than 250 employees had been hired at IDOT into job titles that would exempt them from hiring rules, even though they were doing work such as mowing grass or answering phones that could have been done by the general public.

Rauner's office said the proposal was narrowed to minimize the impact on labor groups.

"Despite this, Democrats are now refusing to support the reform bill," the administration said.

Fox Chicago: Senate Democrats block Rauner's workers' compensation bill

Illinois has lost 300,000 factory jobs since the turn of the 21st century. Governor Bruce Rauner says a big reason for that is the cost of workers compensation, which is a program he's trying to reform. But Democrats in the State Senate rejected the governor's plan.