* 11:23 am - Thanks to a commenter, I checked on the status of the state operating budget bill that the Senate passed last night.
The Senate hasn’t yet transmitted the bill to the House, which means the House can’t vote on it. A usually very reliable and high-level Senate Democratic source just told me that the governor asked Senate President Jones to hold onto the bill for a while. But Jones will reportedly be sending it over to the House shortly.
Also, I’m hearing there’s not much in store for the Senate today. As of now, there are no plans to run the gaming bill, capital bill or the health insurance bill. Things have a way of changing, so stay tuned. But if the Senate leaves town and the House passes the budget and leaves town, the governor may not be able to bring them back very easily.
* 11:26 am - The Senate is convening now. Listen or watch here.
* 11:48 am - The Senate is standing at ease until the call of the chair. Senate President Jones’ spokesperson said the paperwork process takes a while, but she promises they’ll get that budget bill to the House as soon as they can.
* 11:54 am - Here’s some food for thought that I’m still working over in my own head…
Last night, the Senate Executive Committee approved an amendment to the Chicago casino bill that exempted riverboats for five years from the newly enacted statewide smoking ban. As noted here, Sen. Terry Link admits he was working against the Chicago casino. Link was the very proud chief sponsor of that smoking ban.
* 12:41 pm - Ryan Hermes…
Emil Jones (D-Chicago) did speak briefly to reporters as he left a meeting with the governor. He told us the capital bill is dead.
Rod Blagojevich, also, didn’t have a whole lot to say when he exited the meeting.
“This is a real brief statement and it goes like this; President Jones and I agee that our work isn’t done here and I gotta get back to work,” said Blagojevich.
* 1:22 pm - I’m starting to wonder what Jones and the governor cooked up in their meeting earlier today.
The Senate is adjourning their special sessions until Monday at 2 pm. Also, the budget bill still hasn’t been sent to the House, although I’m told that it will be transmitted today. Something definitely appears to be afoot.
* 1:47 pm - The rumors won’t die that somebody has filed a motion to reconsider the vote on the budget bill which passed the Senate last night. A motion like that would hold up the bill and prevent it from being transmitted to the House. The Senate Dem spokesperson has said no motions were filed and no motions are showing up on the LIS page, but the rumor is persistent and pervasive and won’t die.
So, I called the Senate Journal room and they said no motions have been filed on the bill.
*** 1:54 pm *** There’s an “agreed order” from the court hearing the AFSCME case to force the state to issue paychecks without a state appropriation in place to authorize them.
I have a person in the courtroom who tells me that the comptroller has been authorized to issue paychecks to workers through August 31. More later.
…From the person in the courtroom…
Agreement only extends to Aug 31 and shall not serve as binding precedence on this court… Judge signs order and case will remain open. If need for hearing exists they should set for hearing. Over.
Union members stood up and said thank you your honor and started clapping
* 2:27 pm - The Senate has adjourned until Monday at 2 pm.
* 2:29 pm - From AFSCME Council 31 exec director Henry Bayer…
“Today AFSCME has reached an agreement with Comptroller Hynes that upholds the right of state employees and state university employees to be paid for their work. Formalized in an order issued today in state court, that agreement is effective through the end of August.
“Under the terms of that order, all state employees and state university employees will receive their August paychecks. Comptroller Hynes has already directed his office to comply with the order and begin processing paychecks due on August 15. No one will miss a paycheck this month.
“This order gives AFSCME members and all state employees and state university employees the certainty and peace of mind that they will be paid through the end of August. Despite the state budget impasse they have continued to come to work faithfully. They provide the services that Illinois citizens depend on. They should be paid, and they will be.
“We hope the budget impasse is resolved shortly. We do intend to continue discussions with Comptroller Hynes with the goal of extending this agreement as needed, and we are fully prepared to take further legal action if necessary.”
* 2:34 pm - The House is preparing to start session “shortly” after receiving assurances from Senate Democratic staff that the budget bill will be arriving soon.
* 2:36 pm - The budget bill has finally been sent to the House, and the Rules Committee is meeting, so things should start moving soon. Listen or watch here.
* 2:40 pm - From the governor’s office…
While Governor Blagojevich believes waiting for a lawsuit was unnecessary, he is pleased that the Comptroller and the Attorney General now agree with his position that state employees should be paid on time for the work that they do.
* 2:42 pm - A coinkydink, perhaps? A judge signs the order for state worker paychecks and just-like-that, the Senate sends over the budget.