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Pastors push their state budget agenda

Posted July 22, 2007 11:00 pm

Dana Heupel

Capitol Police refused to let the group walk onto the floors of the House and Senate, and the ministers declined an offer to meet privately with the governor's chief of staff.

However, one of the leaders, the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins of Bethlehem Star Church in Chicago, said afterward that their voices were heard.

"We feel that our message was on point, that we were clear about what we were stating: that education has to get back on the table," he said.

John Harris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's chief of staff, did invite the ministers to the next budget negotiating session with the governor and legislative leaders, which he said could occur today. Blagojevich was in Chicago Monday holding a news conference to sign into law a statewide smoking ban.

The pastors said they brought about 150 supporters in four busloads from Chicago and the suburbs for the peaceful protest.

Lawmakers missed their scheduled May 31 adjournment deadline because legislative leaders couldn't agree with each other or the governor about what should be in the state budget for fiscal 2008, which began July 1. Since then, negotiations have yielded little progress and sometimes have sparked animosity and harsh statements.

"This brinksmanship on the part of politicians with personal agendas has brought a crisis in this state," said the Rev. Marshall Hatch of New Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in Chicago.

As the pastors gathered outside the third-floor House doors, Watkins asked a Capitol Police officer to allow them to enter the chambers. They were told they could go to the fourth-floor gallery, but not onto the House floor. The ministers then knelt in prayer.

"We stand here at doors that are shut before us, as the minds of these legislators are also shut to the cries of our children who need their education. We need the dollars for our children's lives to be improved," prayed the Rev. Michael Eaddy of People's Church of the Harvest.

Similar scenes were repeated at the third-floor doors of the Senate chambers and the second-floor entrance to Blagojevich's office, where Harris emerged and offered "to talk to as many of you as can fit in my office."

"We came to see the governor," Hatch said, declining the invitation.

"I think you and the governor are on the same page," Harris told the pastors, who asked to meet with Blagojevich, Senate President Emil Jones and House Speaker Michael Madigan, all Chicago Democrats.

"We'd like to have you at our next leaders' meeting," Harris replied.

At an earlier news conference, Watkins said almost 40 Chicago Public Schools students have been killed this year by gang violence.

"We're concerned, because if we don't have a budget when September opens up in nearly six weeks, we can just imagine the violence that will continue to escalate in our community," Watkins said.

Added Hatch: "Young people will be waiting to go back to school. The death on our streets means that we need an increase in live options."

Dana Heupel can be reached at (217) 788-1518 or dana.heupel@sj-r.com.

Singing hymns and offering prayers, about 50 Chicago-area pastors congregated outside the Illinois House and Senate chambers and the governor's office Monday, calling for more school funding and trying to break the stalemate over the state budget.

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