The chances of Illinois state leaders approving a budget get better starting in January.
That’s because of a quirk in state law.
The legislature is supposed to meet off-and-on from January to May.
And in that time - a bill needs at least 50 percent plus one to pass.
But in the last seven months of a year - a quirky state law requires the threshold to go up to 60 percent.
Charlie Wheeler is a long-time state government observer with the University of Illinois in Springfield.
WHEELER: It was designed to try and get most of the work done in the first part of the year.
The thinking was - lawmakers would be motivated to pass legislation in the first half of the year - because it’d be more difficult later.
But in 2015 - that law didn’t help.
Leaders never agreed on a state budget.
Governor Bruce Rauner has said January’s lower-vote threshold could help with a compromise…
But there’s no guarantee.
