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Things To Watch In Rauner's Budget Address

Bruce Rauner at Inauguration 2015
Brian Mackey
/
NPR Illinois

Since the night he was elected, Gov. Bruce Rauner has
repeatedly said he wants Illinois to be the most competitive yet compassionate
state in the nation.
 
 He's also quick to add one caveat: ``We don't have the money to be able to be
compassionate.''     
 
 As the Republican prepares to propose his first budget Wednesday for a state
that's billions of dollars in the red, many lawmakers and advocates for
low-income, elderly and disabled people are bracing for major cuts to areas such
as Medicaid and mental health care.   
 
 

A Rauner administration official said Tuesday the governor will call for hiring
more prison guards and spending more money on mental health care for inmates.
He's also expected to propose reducing funding for higher education.    
 
 It's all likely to set up a big battle with the Democrats who control the
Legislature, many of whom prefer to raise Illinois income tax rates that rolled
back on Jan. 1 to avoid massive cuts. But Rauner has said keeping tax rates low
is key to improving the state's economy _ and generating the money needed to be
more compassionate.
 
 Following a meeting with Rauner and other legislative leaders Tuesday
afternoon, House Speaker Michael Madigan said the governor indicated he was
prepared to deliver some ``tough medicine.''
 
 ``I think it's fair to say he doesn't plan to propose any tax increases,'' said
Madigan, a Chicago Democrat.
 
     Here's a look at some things to watch as Rauner lays out his plan:  
      ___
 
     MORE PRISON GUARDS
 
 Rauner is expected to call for adding 473 new correctional officer positions _
a move that would save about $10 million in overtime costs and make Illinois
prisons safer, an administration official said Tuesday. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly
before the noon speech.
 
 The governor also will propose spending an additional $58.5 million on mental
health care and $8.3 million on assessments that can help identify inmates'
needs and the risk they pose to public safety. The mental health funds are aimed
at meeting a federal court mandate that requires Illinois to improve its
services.
 
 It was unclear how those line items might affect the overall Department of
Corrections budget, or where the administration plans to make up for the
increased spending.     
 
     ___
 
     NO LAUGHING MATTERS
 
 During Rauner's State of the State address, Democratic legislators laughed at
his proposal to raise the minimum wage slower than they wanted. But they aren't
likely to find anything funny in his budget speech.
 
 The state already is running out of money for several programs, including one
that subsidizes day care for low-income workers. Judith Gethner, executive
director of Illinois Partners for Human Service, says it's a good example of the
critical role social service programs play in achieving Rauner's goal of turning
around the state's economy. Without help paying for day care, many workers may
choose to stay home.
 
 Gethner said human services has been cut more than any other area of the budget
over the past few years, and additional cuts will be particularly difficult to
manage.
 
     ``You can't keep going back to our well,'' she said. ``We're pretty dry.''
 
     ___
 
     MEDICAID
 
 Rauner has said Medicaid spending is unsustainable. And it's an obvious target
with the health insurance for low-income and disabled people making up roughly a
quarter of the state's spending.
 
 Among the options Rauner could consider is requiring Medicaid beneficiaries to
pay a premium for their care or charging more for prescription drugs. He also
could recommend cutting the amount physicians and other Medicaid providers are
paid.
 
 Felicia Norwood, Rauner's pick to head the Department of Healthcare and Family
Services, was asked repeatedly during a recent hearing whether the governor
planned to cut Medicaid. She declined to answer, saying she'd leave it to him to
address Wednesday.
 
 Rep. Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat, warns that ``draconian'' cuts could
backfire because people could wind up in emergency rooms or seeking charity care
for medical conditions that are far more serious _ and costly _ than if they'd
gone to a Medicaid provider.
 
     ___
 
     EDUCATION `BUREAUCRACY'  
 
 During a recent stop near the University of Illinois campus in Champaign,
Rauner said he was going to ``demand'' that there be less bureaucracy in
education, though he didn't offer details.
 
 University of Illinois spokesman Tom Hardy said university officials had been
asked to prepare for cuts in state funding ranging from 20 percent to an
essentially flat appropriation. If the final cut is 20 percent, Hardy said, ``By
all expectations it will involve some pain.''
 
 Rauner, who has said he wants to increase spending on K-12 education, also
could try to close or consolidate some of Illinois' regional offices of
education.
 
     ___

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