The other shoe finally dropped in the Statehouse this afternoon. In
a joint session, Gov. Pat Quinn rolled out plans to cut another $1
billion from next year's budget during an address from the House floor.
With the new cuts on the table, Quinn told lawmakers that that they can
either meet him halfway by finding enough new revenue to pass a
balanced budget or face his veto power. If reaching a deal means
lawmakers must stay in session all summer, so be it. Listen to an
excerpt:
Before this fiscal year begins tomorrow, we need a balanced budget. This is very, very difficult. We know that it's difficult. But if we don't get a balanced budget, if this General Assembly sends me a partial budget that decimates the social safety net of our state, I will veto that budget.
If you, the members of the General Assembly, send me a partial budget that tells the frail elderly that their community care worker will not be at their house tomorrow, I will veto that budget.
If you send me a partial budget that cuts deeply into community mental health service programs in the middle of this difficult recession, I will veto that budget.
If you send me a budget that eliminates or underfunds any programs for veterans, service members, or their families, I will veto that budget in the middle of two wars.
If you send me a partial budget that subjects our state to all kinds of lawsuits -- scores of lawsuits -- resulting from the fact that you have disrupted programs that you yourselves have passed into law. You're not willing to change those laws to take away legal guarantees that are embedded in those laws, so I will veto that budget.
Just this afternoon in federal court in Chicago, Judge Grady issued this decree. It says in crystal clear language that we the people of Illinois are not allowed to cut programs for children, children who have been abused and hurt. That the harm that would occur to children under program and service reductions contemplated by this General Assembly under a budget that does not fully-fund those programs, would not not only harm those children, the harm would be irreparable. It also violates a court order, a consent order that our state entered into. We can't go down that road and I know people don't want to do that.
That's why we have to be adults. We have to come together, work together cooperatively and collaboratively to come up with a budget solution that works for the people of Illinois and all of those who need our good work. So I'm prepared to stay here all summer to get the job done! I think that's what the people want. That's why we're here -- to get the job done. Whatever it takes. And you must must not as the General Assembly and I as the governor fail the people. We're public servants. We can't have half measures and half-baked budgets. We can't have political timidity. We need political fortitude. That's what we're in the arena for -- to serve the people
Inaction is not an option. This is our moment in history. It's time to rise to this moment. To take on this challenge. It's time to have a balanced budget for the people of Illinois and to make the will of the people the law of the land.
