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House rejects lottery lease

Posted July 06, 2007 11:00 pm

Doug Finke and Adriana Colindres

Dealing another blow to Gov. Rod Blagojevich's budget plan, the Illinois House Friday overwhelmingly rejected the governor's proposal to lease the state lottery as a way of paying down pension debt.

The vote came just hours after Blagojevich said House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, has aligned himself with ``conservative, right-wing Republicans'' to thwart the governor's efforts at expanding health care and education funding.

``Our challenge is to try to convince House Democrats, Mr. Madigan, to stop being a Republican, to stop forming partnerships with conservative right-wing Republicans to pass budgets that take health care away from children, that take services away from senior citizens, that cut education,'' Blagojevich said. ``We need to get Mr. Madigan to be a Democrat again and stop being a George Bush Republican,'' Blagojevich said.

``It demonstrates his immaturity,'' said Madigan spokesman Steve Brown. ``He rolls out a string of insults and offers no solutions about the budget impasse.''

Asked if the comments are part of a strategy on the governor's part to isolate Madigan, Brown said, ``I don't know. I'm not a psychiatrist.''

Blagojevich made the comments to reporters after meeting privately for more than two hours with Senate Democrats to discuss budget issues. He made the same comments in the meeting, said Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

``They implied that if you weren't for what the governor is for that you're not a good Democrat. That's scary. It's just not right,'' Jacobs said. ``It reminds me a little bid of the old days when people would say they're not a good Nazi.''

Although Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, backs most of Blagojevich's agenda this spring, many rank-and-file Democratic senators do not. They made that clear during the meeting.

``I think there's unanimity (among Senate Democrats) in terms of goals and purposes,'' Blagojevich said. ``There are clearly differences between the means.''

Shortly after, the House rejected Blagojevich's plan for privatizing the lottery by a 78-6 vote. Under the plan, the state would lease the lottery to a private vendor for at least $10 billion and use the money to retire part of the $42 billion pension fund debt.

Without the deal, said Rep. Kurt Granberg, D-Carlyle, the amount of money the state needs to pay into its pension plans will soar, leaving no money for education and other services.

``We need to do something dramatic and drastic,'' Granberg said.

Other representatives raised a litany of complaints about the plan, from the $630 million hole it will leave in the school aid budget to the fact the state would get $10 billion from an asset that's worth far more.

``You don't mortgage your future in order to pay your grocery bill,'' said Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago. ``That's exactly what this proposal will do.''

Blagojevich dismissed the House vote.

``It's nothing new. Mr. Madigan has consistently taken solutions off of the table,'' Blagojevich said. ``It's part of the three-ring circus that he's conducting there in the House.''

The Senate, meanwhile, approved a resolution drafted by the Blagojevich administration saying the pension funding issue is serious and should be addressed this year. It was approved on a voice vote.

Blagojevich and the four leaders did not meet either Thursday or Friday, the first two special session days called by Blagojevich to deal with the budget. They are scheduled to meet Saturday.

Blagojevich issued a proclamation calling lawmakers into special session at 2 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Madigan, though, said the House will meet at 10 a.m., giving members a chance to leave for home Saturday afternoon and not return until late Sunday afternoon.

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