Haine, others say leadership meeting was good first step
From Illinois Business Journal news services
SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, weighed in Monday on a long-anticipated meeting between the governor and legislative leaders.
“I am happy to see this meeting happen. This is an important first step in getting a constructive dialogue going in order to compromise on tough issues. It is extremely important we take concrete steps to end this impasse. There is still much to be done to bring Illinois to its rightful place as a leader in manufacturing, agricultural production and shipping.
“Illinois has always been a leader in education and infrastructure, such as highways, bridges and levee repairs. We need to ensure that Illinois fights its way back into a leadership role in the industrial, financial and agricultural sectors. Our economic base is at stake and we need to get down to business. We need to deemphasize the agendas and move toward cooperation for the common good.”
Earlier Monday, the four legislative leaders and Gov. Rauner met to discuss solutions to the ongoing budget impasse.
Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, said he has long advocated for a meeting to get Illinois financial situation back on track.
“It’s good to see the governor take the long overdue step of bringing legislative leaders together instead of sending mailers to our districts about a budget impasse he created,” he said in a statement. Southern Illinois has been held hostage without a budget due to Rauner’s inability to lead. Seniors are going without services, our drug counseling centers are closing their doors and Governor Rauner is stealing local tax revenue. I’m ready to see the governor outline a plan that we can vote on instead of taking up non-budget-related issues like right-to-work, workers compensation and prevailing wage. ”
