LAWMAKERS RETURN TO WORK ON BUDGET

Lawmakers will return to Springfield next week to work on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget.

The House of Representatives plans to return to Springfield on May 24. The Senate will reconvene on May 26 to consider the budget proposal.

The General Assembly has until midnight on May 31 to approve a budget by a simple majority vote. After that date, a super majority vote will be required to approve a budget.

AUDIT SHOWS MISUSE OF STATE FUNDS

Illinois Auditor General William Holland released an audit this week of ousted Governor Rod Blagojevich’s last year in office, which revealed a litany of problems related to the way his Administration hired legal help.

DEFICIT SPENDING, MORE BORROWING, UNPAID BILLS

Governor Pat Quinn’s fiscal plan for next year relies on spending billions more than expected state revenues—including a $1.6 billion increase in spending, borrowing more than $6.1 billion to make up the difference, and ignoring billions more in unpaid bills.

Senate Democrat leaders jammed through House Bill 859 during the late evening hours of May 6, despite strong Republican opposition. Other related bills were passed May 7. That legislation must still be approved by the House of Representatives.

It is not surprising that this budget was forced through late at night, because it certainly would not bear scrutiny in the full light of day. Promises were made, and broken. Projects were held hostage in extreme acts of political gamesmanship. That being said, the fact remains is no one knows what is in this budget. And they are handing over extraordinary powers to a Governor who has clearly shown that he lacks the skills necessary to lead our state out of the economic mess in which it is mired.

Students from Bloomington Junior High School explain their project to Senator Bill Brady during TECH 2010, a demonstration of school technology May 6 in the State Capitol.

TECH 2010 is designed to show state leaders what skills will be needed for the Illinois work force and how technology can improve teaching and learning.

Seen here are (from left) Senator Brady; London Lane, an 8th-grader; Sarah Micks, a 6th-grader; and Teacher Ashley Schnittker. Not pictured is Teacher Michael Jones.

Senator Bill Brady welcomes Reed Rogers of Normal (at right), an 8th-grade student at Parkside Junior High School, and Reed’s mother, Lisa Rogers (at left), to his Senate office in the Capitol.

The son of Bradley and Lisa Rogers, Reed served as a legislative page for Senator Brady on May 6.