Rauner calls lawmakers back for special session

http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170615/rauner-calls-lawmakers-back-for-special-session

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Springfield Journal-Register.  Please click on the link above to read the full story.  Here is an excerpt below)

Gov. Bruce Rauner has called lawmakers back to Springfield for a series of special sessions starting Wednesday.

The schedule will keep lawmakers in Springfield through June 30, which is the end of the state’s current fiscal year.

Bond rating agencies have threatened to drop the state’s bond rating to junk status if lawmakers don’t approve a budget before the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.

Republicans from the House and Senate outlined a plan Wednesday to end the budget stalemate. Their proposal will spend about $1.3 billion less than a plan approved by the Senate Democrats at the end of May.

Republicans also said they will accept tax hikes to balance the budget if Democrats will also go along with a number of reform ideas, including pension changes, workers compensation reforms, term limits on statewide elected officials and a four-year property tax freeze.