Animal Farm

Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan are bringing lawmakers back on July 14 for a joint budget session.

We'll hear from Gov. Quinn in a bit.

The governor is expected to veto this afternoon the budget lawmakers approved. Until then, here's the statement his office just sent out.

Statement from Governor Pat Quinn

Regarding the State Budget Impasse

SPRINGFIELD – July 1, 2009. “The State is without a budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Until a budget is in place, the State has very limited authority to pay its vendors and grantees. The State, however, will continue to operate and provide essential services to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Illinois citizens, such as maintaining prisons and providing emergency services and legally-required social services. Other vendors and grantees who currently perform State services do so at the risk of not being paid.

Somehow I don’t think this is going to help Gov. Sanford’s attempt to reconcile with the Mrs.

During an emotional interview at his Statehouse office with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Sanford said Chapur (Argentine mistress) is his soul mate but he's trying to fall back in love with his wife.

Excerpts from a fund-raising letter sent out by Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes, a Chicago Democrat:

"Politically, I am preparing to launch the next stage of my career. To get ready for the 2010 elections I am focusing my energies ramping up our grassroots organization, growing our volunteer operation, and building our network of contributors." ...

"I know that times are tough, but at 12 a.m. tonight I have a very important filing deadline and I'm emailing you today to ask for your help." ...

"Your contribution of 25, 50, 100 dollars or whatever you can do now will help me as I prepare to launch the next phase of my career. I am hoping you will be a part of what I am doing, and by contributing now you can ensure that we will be positioned for success in 2010." ...

Gov. Pat Quinn said today he's prepared to go to "double overtime" to get a budget deal.

Oh no! Double OT.

You might wonder, what's that?

After May 31, lawmakers are in an overtime session and getting a budget deal approved requires a politically difficult 3/5ths majority vote.

Now lawmakers are on the verge of starting the budget year (July 1) with no budget and Quinn's calling "double overtime."

And that means a budget deal will require a near politically impossible 6/5ths vote.

Yes, that, like many things at the Capitol, was a bad joke.

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In case you missed it, here's former Govs. Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar offering a bit of advice to Gov. Pat Quinn on the budget mess.

Of note, it's important to keep in mind that these are former governors. And for all the longing in some GOP circles that Edgar make a comeback, don't look for it.

After discussing the state's finances, Thompson said he was glad he was "in Chicago."
And Edgar said "I'm going to Colorado."
He hoped things would be fixed when he gets back.

Yeah, that's what I hoped for too when I took a vacation a couple weeks ago.

Republicans have rightfully complained that the ruling Democrats have made a mockery of state finances. Well, now Republicans have a seat at the table because their votes are needed to pass any budget. So far nothing's happened. Lawmakers left town yesterday and are due back next week, just hours before the state starts a new budget year with now budget.
Some Republicans expressed outrage that members were going home when so little had been done and so much remained to be done. But one statewide GOP hopeful apparently had other plans. Here's the email we received for a GOP fundraiser last night. Nothing says plight of the common taxpayer more than imported wine and cheese on a Chicago rooftop.
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Wine Tasting

The Illinois Senate and House have adjourned without figuring out how to balance the state budget that is supposed to kick in a week from today. Gov. Pat Quinn ordered lawmakers back yesterday and wanted them to approve a tax increase. That didn't happen.

So, they've gone home and will return next week, just hours before a possible government shutdown begins.

State Rep. Joe Lyons was presiding over the House as the adjournment until next week was announced.

"Have a safe weekend one and all," Lyons told fellow House members as they left Wednesday.

There are no masses of protesters clogging the Capitol today as lawmakers head into session with the budget year counting down its final days and unknown misery possibly awaiting next week if nothing's done. The general assumption is lawmakers will leave today and be back sometime next week, pressing any potential budget deal/tax hike right up against the Wednesday start of a new budget year.

So far Gov. Pat Quinn has rejected the idea of a temporary budget to keep government running through July.
So far, lawmakers haven't sent him the only half-funded budget they approved for the coming year. One year they waited until the last minutes of the 11th hour to send then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich the budget, in effect daring him to reject it only minutes before it took effect.