Illinois Senate Overrides Rauner’s Budget Vetoes

By John O'Connor, Associated Press
Madigan
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, looks up towards the video boards during the overtime session at the state Capitol, Sunday, July 2, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois House has approved an income tax increase as part of a plan to end the nation's longest budget standoff. Justin L. Fosler / The State Journal-Register via AP
Madigan
Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, looks up towards the video boards during the overtime session at the state Capitol, Sunday, July 2, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. The Illinois House has approved an income tax increase as part of a plan to end the nation's longest budget standoff. Justin L. Fosler / The State Journal-Register via AP

Illinois Senate Overrides Rauner’s Budget Vetoes

By John O'Connor, Associated Press
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Updated 2:30 p.m.

The Illinois Senate has voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vetoes of a $36 billion budget plan and $5 billion income tax increase.

The Democratic-controlled chamber acted within 30 minutes Tuesday of the Republican governor’s vetoes.

The vote was 36-19 to override legislation to increase the personal income tax rate by 32 percent.

It supports a $36 billion spending plan that Rauner also vetoed. The Senate voted 39-15 to reverse that vote.

House Speaker Michael Madigan — a Chicago Democrat — has pledged to override the vetoes too. But he did not plan to call overrides on Tuesday.

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2:10 p.m.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has vetoed a $36 billion budget plan that includes a $5 billion income tax increase.


The Republican acted about three hours after the Senate approved the legislation designed to end the nation’s longest state budget holdout since at least the Great Depression.


The Democratic-controlled Senate voted 36-18 Tuesday to hike the personal income tax rate by 32 percent from 3.75 percent to just under 5 percent. Corporations would pay 7 percent instead of just over 5 percent. It voted 39-14 to adopt the $36 billion spending plan.


Rauner promised to veto the measures because Democrats who control the General Assembly have yet to agree to his pet issues. Those include statewide property tax relief, cost reductions in workers’ compensation and benefits for state-employee pensions, and an easier process for dissolving or eliminating local governments.


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1:10 p.m.


Speaker Michael Madigan says the House does not plan an override vote Tuesday if Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoes the budget package sent to him.
The Senate voted earlier in the day to approve a $5 billion tax increase to fund a $36 billion budget plan. It would be the first in Illinois in more than two years because of a budget standoff between Rauner and Democrats.


Rauner promised to veto the budget package because it doesn’t have include the business reform and property tax relief he demands.
The Senate is prepared to vote on an override motion Tuesday, but Madigan told WICS-TV that there would be no House action Tuesday.