Confusion reigns over state budget [UPDATED Fri. 5/7, 6 p.m.]

UPDATE Friday 6 p.m.: The General Assembly returned to session in Springfield this morning and spent a full day at work, but as night fell on their scheduled adjournment date, passage of a state spending plan for the coming Fiscal Year 2011 seemed no closer and its prospects even less clear.

The House Democratic caucus spent the morning in a rare meeting with the governor and speaker. According to reports, the caucus deliberations were contentious and passionate as many budget scenarios were discussed, including revenue, cuts and borrowing.

Later in the day, representatives voted on a plan to borrow billions of dollars to make the state's required payment to the retirement systems, and a budget blueprint that would have slashed steeply into funding for a wide range of vital public services. Both bills failed.

Representatives did pass one major bill, but it was a bad one--a tax giveaway scheme known as STAR bonds that will benefit a private real estate developer while draining hundreds of millions of dollars of desperately needed revenue away from the state coffers for years to come.

For their part, senators who in the wee hours of this morning passed a budget full of their own ugly cuts also voted to approve further irresponsible underfunding of the pensions systems.

By the time of this writing, a resolution to the budget mess was no clearer. AFSCME lobbyists and member activists remained at the capitol where they have been fighting for a responsible budget based on adequate new revenue -- like House Bill 174 -- to fund vital services, save jobs and pay the state's bills.

ORIGINAL POST Thursday 11 p.m.: After a day in which the legislative leaders tried and failed to ram through a budget based on huge cuts to vital services and once again shorting the pension funds, the House of Representatives adjourned late Thursday night, May 6, and prepared to return Friday morning.

UPDATE Friday 8 a.m.: The Senate approved this irresponsible spending plan by a 31-26 vote at 1 a.m. Friday morning.

AFSCME lobbying played a critical role in revealing the harm that would be done by the sharp cuts to state agencies and grantees in the leaders' budget, as well as the folly of yet again skipping the state's required payment to the retirement systems.

By 10 p.m. on Thursday, when it was clear that leaders lacked the votes to move their irresponsible budget plan, the House chose to gavel out for the night. Both chambers are scheduled to return Friday morning, when the AFSCME lobbying team and member activists alike will be there to meet them for another round in our fight to win a responsible budget that adequately funds public services, saves jobs, and pays the state's bills.

Remember to keep checking the AFSCME website for updates, and to contact your legislators quickly via the Responsible Budget Coalition's e-mail page (http://www.abetterillinois.com/legislator) and toll-free hotline (1-800-719-3020).