Quinn Calls Special Session Of General Assembly To Handle Budget, Capital Bill, Ethics Reform

CHICAGO (AP) -- Gov. Pat Quinn's calling a special session of the Illinois General Assembly to grapple with budgetary and other issues.

A proclamation Quinn signed Thursday says the session will convene Tuesday. It says a primary aim will be to deal with the state's financial crisis.

The state budget's in shambles, but legislators have barely moved beyond accusations and bickering to cooperate on fixing the mess.

The General Assembly's already passed a partial budget that inadequately funds annual state operations.

Quinn say he's fighting for a fair and balanced budget that'll protect vulnerable citizens and restore Illinois' financial health.

Tuesday's proclamation says the session will also deal with other issues, including ethics reform.

-ASSOCIATED PRESS

Comments

[Avatar73]

Quinn is only looking to get more from Tax Payers while continuing to give us nothing, this state is run like a Michael Vick Dog kettle.

[crookedcountyillinois]

We need to sweep Quinn off the table.

[AndreaRaila]

Illinois legislators who would not vote for a state income tax increase are divided into two camps: the Republican “Tin Man” searching for a heart, and the Democratic “Cowardly Lion” searching for political courage.

Together, in the Land of Oz, they share the fairytale – that not raising the state income tax and pandering to the cut-waste-­reform-fir­st mantra --- will ensure long political careers.

Hey no trouble increasing millions in user fees, sales taxes---dollar and dime the taxpayers to death, while avoiding tougher challenges to overhaul the property tax and income tax system.

Illinois was in a fiscal mess under the last 3 administrations. Budgets were “balanced” by under funding pensions, creative accounting even when the economic times were better.

California has 36.7 million residents and a $16 billion deficit. Every resident would have to pay $435 to cover their deficit. But in Illinois , with 12.9 million residents and a $11 billion deficit every resident would have to pay $852 to dig themselves out of a deficit pit created by the state's legislators--not Gov Quinn.

Legislators spent our money like drunken sailors, part of the problem was the pay to play and no regulations on state contracts, which was only addressed in this legislative session!

Thank God we have a fiscal conservative and reform minded Governor with courage to say yes to a modest 1.5% tax increase and reforms to the public pension system that’s drowning generations in debt.