Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner says a budget deal could take a while longer.
Rauner recently addressed a crowd of manufacturers eating lunch in a downtown Chicago hotel.
RAUNER: I am the most persistent rascal on the planet. I do not back down. I do not give up.
But Democrats have also been persistent.
They won’t agree to any of the business-centered reforms Rauner’s pushed.
As a result - Rauner says the stalemate will continue.
RAUNER: It looks now most likely January to April. K? Persistence. Persistence. Stay strong.
Rauner says two things change in 2016.
One - it’ll take fewer lawmakers to approve a budget.
And two - he says the threat of layoffs at Chicago Public Schools during the school year could be a pressure point for getting a deal done.