South West Illinois News

Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) and 30 colleagues from both sides of the aisle recently penned a letter urging the Senate to come to an agreement on the "grand bargain" budget that apparently still has some life in it despite ongoing claims that it died weeks ago.

“We believe a solution that can pass the House and Senate and be signed by the Governor needs to include a package of bills that fundamentally addresses the needs of the state, and most importantly provides a normal, full-year budget for our state agencies, schools, and social service providers,” the letter reads.

Illinois has not had a full-year budget for more than two years, which has led to underfunded public institutions, including schools, and a growing balance of unpaid bills and mounting interest payments. 

“We want to do what we were elected to do; govern the state,” the letter continues. “To do that we need to pass a budget. We understand a package from the Senate will be complex. Some parts may make members uncomfortable, and that’s not unusual in a negotiated deal. We ask the Senators from both parties to pass the best negotiated package they can, and then we will take up their work in the House. We publicly support the hard work of the Senate and wish to continue their efforts."

The current legislative session ends on May 31.