Illinois Budget Battles: “This is Simply Embarrassing.”

There's been a lot of talk over the last year about Illinois' lack of a state budget, and a lot of finger-pointing between the political parties over the continuing impasse. Very few things illustrate the disconnect between the majority and minority parties as well as an exchange between legislators after the Democrats in the House passed Speaker Madigan's 500-plus page, $7 billion out-of-balance spending plan for fiscal 2017.

This video was posted by the Illinois Policy Institute on their Facebook page, and has since been viewed nearly a million times, with thousands of comments. The man asking the questions is Rep. Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon), and the woman "responding" is Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie of Chicago, the Democratic majority leader. Keep in mind that although the house passed Madigan's budget, the Senate rejected it. However, the legislature could still bring that budget back for reconsideration.

According to the Chicago Tribune's Editorial Board,

For many, these six minutes encapsulate the dysfunction of Illinois' legislature and its lackadaisical approach toward the spending that has ruined Illinois' finances.

 

Based upon the condescension, dismissive tone, and a "that's the way we've always done it" attitude, don't look for things to get better before they get worse in Springfield.