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Jones: 'Don't know' if Senate will take budget veto vote

Posted October 02, 2007 11:00 pm

Doug Finke

As expected Tuesday, the Illinois House voted overwhelmingly to restore most of the $463 million cut from the state budget by Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Not as expected was the mixed-signal reaction of Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, to the House vote.

"We've got to look at (the House action) and see what they did," Jones said shortly afterward. Asked if that meant he is changing his mind about allowing a Senate vote on restoring the money, he responded, "No, no, no, no."

However, asked later Tuesday if he will still refuse to let the Senate vote on overriding the cuts, Jones said, "I don't know. You know, things change. I might change my mind."

The House vote will be meaningless unless the Senate also agrees to override the vetoed spending, and Jones, the governor's chief ally in the legislature, had been adamant that he would not let the Senate vote on restoring money to the budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

In August, Blagojevich cut $463 million from the $59 billion budget, saying it represented "pork" and "special interest spending" the state could not afford. He said he plans to use the money instead to pay for a universal health-care plan that neither the House nor the Senate has approved. Shortly before making the cuts, Blagojevich said he had assurances from Jones that the Senate would not vote to restore the money.

But even some Senate Democrats were upset when they saw what the Democratic governor actually cut out of the budget. They've been pressuring Jones to let at least some of the money be restored.

The Blagojevich administration criticized Tuesday's House vote.

"It's disappointing that after under-funding health care in their budget, now House members voted to take health care away from chronically ill children and life-saving cancer screenings and treatment from uninsured women," Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch said in a written statement. "As we've said before, we're happy to work with them to fund some of their projects and programs, but not at the expense of health care."

Both Democrats and Republicans in the House lambasted Blagojevich for cutting money for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, a wide variety of social services and community health programs, veterans services and even public TV and radio stations.

"I don't see any particular rhyme or reason for what was cut," said Rep. Rosemary Mulligan, R-Des Plaines. "What he cut is ridiculous, makes no sense and hurts a great many people."

The House held hearings around the state over the past few weeks in which hundreds of people spoke out against the cuts. They culminated in a hearing of the full House Monday in which dozens of people and organizations affected by the cuts made their cases.

"I would suggest, after having these hearings, we came to two conclusions," said Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield. "These are not pork barrel projects, as some have stated, and these reductions hurt people."

"These cuts are not about pork," said Rep. Patricia Bellock, R-Hinsdale. "These cuts are about people - poor people, disabled people, mentally ill people."

Some lawmakers used the debate as an opportunity to tee off on Blagojevich.

"You have created an atmosphere of distrust, an atmosphere of disrespect," said Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie. "You have been involved in the process of blatant politics. In your effort to punish House Democrats … you have brought further disrespect to this process. I'm not sure you know what the heck is going on down here."

The House split the restorations into two votes. One passed 104-4, while the other passed 105-4. In both cases, four representatives voted "present." All Springfield and Peoria lawmakers voted to restore the money. Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville, was absent.

Not all of the money cut by Blagojevich was put back in. About $39 million in vetoed spending was allowed to stand. The largest allocation was $10 million cut from state employee group health insurance, which could slightly lengthen the time it takes to pay bills.

Hannig, the House Democrats' budget negotiator, said the House was "trying to respect the governor's ability to reduce those items that are totally under his control."

"He said he didn't need those monies," Hannig said. "He wouldn't spend the money anyway."

Funding restored by the House included $93 million for lawmakers' pet projects, the items singled out by Blagojevich as pork barrel spending. Blagojevich cut money for projects sought by House Democrats and Senate Republicans, but not money put in the budget by House Republicans and Senate Democrats.

Lawmakers plan to use the money to make grants to community agencies as well as to pay for road work, bike paths and other construction projects.

Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, called on Senate Democrats to support restoration of the budget cuts.

"The governor has turned citizens and communities across the state into victims of political crossfire," Watson said in a written statement. "That is wrong and it should be rejected. If other Democrats in the Senate disagree with Emil Jones, I'm hoping they will stand up and be counted."

Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527 or doug.finke@sj-r.com.

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