Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Munger: Rauner Should Back Off From Union Demands | Progress Illinois

 

Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger believes Gov. Bruce Rauner should drop his proposed "Turnaround Agenda" items aimed at unions in an effort to get a state budget adopted.

"I don't think it's productive, I think we've got to work together, personally," Munger, who was appointed by Rauner, said Friday when asked if the governor should back off from his union proposals.

"I don't think it helps to pit people against one another, to be completely honest," she added, the Quad-Cities Online's Eric Timmons reported. "I believe we need to be all working together to solve the problems in Illinois."

Illinois has been without a state budget since July 1. Rauner, a Republican, is trying to win items on his "Turnaround Agenda" through the budgeting process. Some of those items include workers' compensation reforms, a property tax freeze and limits on collective bargaining.

As for the other agenda items being pushed by Rauner, Munger said she favors tort reform and changes to the workers' compensation system in the state.

Also on Friday, former Illinois Republican Gov. Jim Edgar said Rauner should zero in on getting a state budget adopted and let up on his pro-business, anti-union policy agenda.

"State government's probably in the worst state it's been in the 47 years that I've been around (it)," Edgar said in an interview with The State Journal-Register. "You've got dozens and dozens of programs that aren't being funded, agencies that are having trouble doing their mission, and I just think it's very unfortunate."

"We need a budget," Edgar said. "These other issues, they're important, some of them I think more important than others, but you don't hold the budget hostage to get those. ... It has been very destabilizing for state government. I think a lot of people have suffered."

Munger: Rauner Should Back Off From Union Demands | Progress Illinois

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