Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner said he's hopeful he and Democratic lawmakers can reach a two-year budget deal by the end of next month. The state's already gone 10 months without a budget and that's crippled higher education and human services.
Rauner's conciliatory tone comes just days after lawmakers passed a bi-partisan measure to give colleges and universities $600 million in emergency operations funding. Rauner said he sees some momentum for further compromise.
"I want to stay persistent and encourage the excellent bipartisan work and negotiations that are going on right now," he said.
The relief for higher education didn't require new revenue from a tax increase, something the governor and lawmakers from both parties acknowledge will likely be part of a comprehensive budget bargain. Meanwhile, lawmakers are considering emergency funding for social service agencies, which would also come from existing state dollars.
Rauner said he believes people are more optimistic that "grand compromise" can be reached. But, he said it has to include the pro-business changes he supports, along with increased revenue.
"Because if we just did a tax hike and no reforms, more employers will leave and we'll still chase our tail down and we won't restore the confidence," he said. "We've got to start to get at the root causes of these deficits."
If the state can't reach a budget deal by the end of May, Rauner said he'd consider calling a special session and might pay for it himself.
