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Be bored, be frustrated, and be angry —
that’s about the only thing that rank-and-file lawmakers can do while
Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the four legislative leaders work to nail down a
budget agreement. “Basically, we’re done,” says Rep.
Rich Brauer, R-Petersburg. “[Blagojevich] keeps calling us in, but
there’s nothing to do.”
Brauer estimates that 10 bills that he’s
sponsored have passed both houses of the General Assembly and are awaiting
the governor’s signature, and, with the deadline to file new bills
already passed, there’s little left to do after session ends each
day, he says. Powerless to do much to affect the impasse, both
lawmakers and state employees carried on as usual this week as a one-month
budget expired at midnight on Aug. 1. Blagojevich implored state workers to report to work
Wednesday in a July 31 letter, but the request seemed unusual to some
people. “We assumed everybody would show up and keep
working. Why the governor would send out a letter, I don’t
know,” says Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan.
But individuals employed by the Legislature answer to
caucus leaders of their respective chambers, not Blagojevich. Cindy Davidsmeyer, spokeswoman for Senate President
Emil Jones says that although Jones has the power to override the governor
and furlough the people who work for him, that won’t happen.
Instead, Jones, Madigan, and Rep. Tom Cross and Sen.
Frank Watson — leaders of the Republican minority in the House and
Senate, respectively — hope to work out a budget soon, Davidsmeyer
says. In the meantime, Brauer says, he’ll continue
making the 21-mile trip back to his home every day after the session ends.
“There’s always stuff to do around the
house and phone calls to make,” Brauer says. “I can do a lot of
my work from my office here at home.”
Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2007.
