* I broke this story for subscribers yesterday, and now the Tribune has it today…
Speaker Michael Madigan predicted the House will pass two mass transit funding solutions Wednesday to help Chicago-area bus and train riders, a move that would pressure Senate President Emil Jones and Gov. Rod Blagojevich to act fast.
Madigan indicated Tuesday he plans to move forward with legislation to raise the sales tax in Chicago and the suburbs and a separate proposal to divert gas tax funds to the Regional Transportation Authority as a Jan. 20 deadline looms for service cuts and fare increases. “I expect that both bills will pass the House,” Madigan said.
* Maybe, maybe not…
Rep. Skip Saviano (R-Elmwood Park), the architect of the gas tax diversion, cast doubt on its passage because his Downstate colleagues may want to know how the funds would be replaced. Saviano also said he would not support the sales tax package but expected it to pass.
The big question has been what Senate President Emil Jones will do, but his spokesperson said Jones “will call it for a vote and look for Republican support,” according to the Trib.
* Meanwhile, there was finally a spot of good news. Madigan seems to be OK with the governor’s amendatory veto of the BIMP bill…
Madigan also will determine whether the House votes to accept Blagojevich’s budget-bill changes. If he does, schools could start getting their extra funding by the end of the month.
Asked about the budget bill Tuesday, Madigan said, “I’ve read the governor’s press statement. From what I read in his statement, I see no problem.” […]
The Senate also will be the first chamber to consider the budget bill. A spokeswoman said Jones will ask the Senate to approve the changes.
* More session stuff, compiled by Paul…
* Clout Street: House Dems cool to casino operators complaints
* House committee listens to testimony on gambling expansion
* Tribune Editorial: Mass transit bill…just do it
* Editorial: Legislature should not follow the governor’s example
* Jaegar and O’Brien: Transit on the move
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:09 am:
January looks to be an interesting month. Rezko, cta/rta, raiding of the gas fund without replacement cash, the legislature increasing state spending without idnetifying how its going to cover the 1.7 Billion the State has in back bills (how much has appropriation and how much is not covered).
The whole thing with the AV, and Madigans tenative support, shows the point Rich was making earlier, these were not changes that needed to be done by an AV, which is just slowing the thing down.
- Enemy of the State - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:14 am:
Only Dr. Phil and Oprah can save us now.
- Captain America - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 8:36 am:
Governor A’s attempts to position himself as a champion supporting the resolution of the mass transit funding crisis is absurd - political chutzpah at its finest. He has been the primary impediemnt to resolving this problem from the very beginning.
My bset guess is that the Senate will pass the Hamos bill rather than the Cross bill simply becauwe of the fiscal irresponsibility of creating a $400 million hole in the State budget.
My understanding of a discussion on Chicago Tonight last evening is that if the Governor exercises his amendatory veto power, the AV could put the Republicans and the downstate Democrats, insisting on coupling of mass transit funding with a capital bill, back in the game.
Passing both transit bills today will put the onus back on the Senate President Emil Jones to get something done quickly. Jones will finally be forced by his own caucus to act tp prevent implementation of doomsday servie reductions.
It’s deja vu over and over again given the irrationality of Governor A and the tripartite rivalry between the Governor, Madigan, and Jones.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:21 am:
CA dont forget the ominous comment about AV’ing a bill into whatever shape he wants. Governor A seems to be under the impression that if he gets a biil he can use his AV to wipe the paper clean and then pencil in whatever lnaguage he wants. In the Governor A universe, the GA need only pass a blank piece of paper to fulfill its role and empower him create whatever law he sees fit.
The pure emperilistic weild of his power should strike fear into the hearts of all.
- He makes Ryan Look like a Saint - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:22 am:
My prediction is history will repeat itself and they (the leaders) will somehow screw this up, and it will not pass.
- Captain America - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:32 am:
Ghost
- Captain America - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:36 am:
Ghost,
I concur that the Governor could well botch the whole process up by abusing his amendatory veto authority in an extraconstitutional fashion.
- zatoichi - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 9:51 am:
If the state is $1.7B behind now and adds the Cross $400M hole, that hits $2.1B. Add the capital stuff the southern Dems are pushing and where ever the Gov’s health care goes. Who gets whacked to provide those dollars? Somewhere here the cup goes empty and a tax increase becomes the only real solution. The gambling fight will go on with some casinos eventually being built and need a couple of years to get dollars flowing, but $2.1B dollar levels are unlikely. AV it all you want, more cash is still needed (as always). Taxes are coming.
- Ghost - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 11:28 am:
zatoichi keep in mind that there are some unknows with that 1.7 billion back log. There may be some money that has already been appropriated to pay those bills, they just havent sent the checks out. My understanding in this represents some bills that did not get paid last fiscal year and floated over to this year, plus the current bills coming in. The problem is we do not know how much of this has an appropriation. If there is a 1 bill aprop for these, or 1 bil with state and fed money, then we have a 700k shortfall 6 months in. If the 1.7 is all shortfall its even worse. But somone needs to answer for the backlog and address whether we have dollars on hand to pay these bills. It sounds like the problem is not slow check writing, but lack of funds.
- Cassandra - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 1:18 pm:
What will happen to the plan to retool the CTA pension plan so as to make it a tiny bit (but not
very) less burdensome to taxpayers. I understood the
agreement with the unions expired at the end of 07.
Will it be part of any new bills sent to the guv?
- GA Watcher - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 2:35 pm:
The Senate just accepted the Governor’s amendatory veto on the BIMP bill. It has recessed for party caucuses and then committees. The plan is for it to be back in session after the committee hearings.
- debating - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:18 pm:
The House is currently debating SB 307, one of the CTA bailout bills.
- GA Watcher - Wednesday, Jan 9, 08 @ 4:31 pm:
The House has adopted SB 307 by a vote of 66-49.