STRINGS.
COM ED POWERING LIVES.
>>> THE ILLINOIS GENERAL
ASSEMBLY IS WRAPPING UP ITS
FINAL VETO SESSION.
THE STATE'S MINIMUM WAGE AND
ACCESS TO STATE'S RECORDS A THAN
I WILL ILLINOIS'S FINANCIAL HELP
IS UNDER DISCUSSION.
AMANDA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US.
A NEW STATEMENT OF MINIMUM WAGE
BILL MAY BE VOTED ON THE HOUSE
TOMORROW THAN WOULD HAVE THE
STATE MINIMUM WAGE JUMPING TO $9
IN JULY AND $LEV BY 2019.
WHAT IS THE CHANCE OF IT
PASSING?
WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?
>> IT IS VERY MUCH INFLUX AND I
CAME FROM A MEETING WITH THE
SENATE SPONSOR OF THAT, WHO SAYS
SHE'S IN THE MIDST OF
NEGOTIATION.
IT DOES INCLUDE OTHER CHANGES IN
PRIOR MEASURES, FOR EXAMPLE, A
BUSINESS TAX INCENTIVE, WE ARE
LEARNING WHAT THAT WOULD BE,
APPEARS TO BE SOMETHING FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES, WITH 50
EMPLOYEES OR LESS TO MAKE IT A
BIT EASIER FOR THEM TO HANDLE
THIS INCREASE AND OBVIOUSLY
CHICAGO HAS INCREASED ITS
MINIMUM WAGE, THE STATE WOULD
SAY OKAY, YOU CAN DO THAT BUT
ONLY UP TO $13.
IT IS VERY MUCH IN THE WORKS.
>> BRUCE RAUNER WAS IN
SPRINGFIELD TODAY.
AND HE ONCE AGAIN SAID THAT
THINGS WERE A BIGGER MESS THAN
HE THOUGHT.
>> I THOUGHT ABOUT A FEW BILLS,
AND USED IT TO KEEP SPENDING
HIGH AND ALLOCATED EXPENSES FROM
LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR AND USED
THE MONEY TO PAY EXPENSES.
FUND AMOUNTALLY DISHONEST AND IT
LOOKS LIKE THIS YEAR'S
EXPERIENCES ARE LOWER, WHEN NEAR
NOT.
>> DID HE GIVE ANY DETAILS ON
HOW TO FIX THINGS?
>> DETAILS ON HOW HE WOULD FIX
THINGS.
IN MY EYES BRUCE RAUNER SETTING
UP THE GROUND WORK FOR WHAT IS
TO COME.
WHATEVER SORT OF PAIN IS ON THE
WAY WHEN HE TAKES OVER, REVENUE
UNKRES, PROBABLY A MIX OF BOTH,
WE WILL HEAR IT FROM HIM.
I DID HAVE TO CHUCKLE WHEN HE
TALKED ABOUT DISHONEST
POLITICIANS BECAUSE ON THE
CAMPAIGN TRAIL HE WAS MAYBE LESS
THAN UP FRONT THAN A LOT OF
PEOPLE WANTED HIM TO BE.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT ILLINOIS IS
IN FINANCIAL MESS.
HE MAY IN THE KNOW HOW BAD IT IS
BUT WE KNEW IT WOULD BE BAD.
HE MADE A HECK OF A LOT OF
PROMISES TO INCREASE SPENDING
AND ROLLING BACK TAXES.
>> YOU SAID ROLLING BACK TAXES,
HE IS STILL WILLING TO LET THE
TEMPORARY INCOME TAX GO DOWN IN
JANUARY?
IS THAT RIGHT?
>> IT APPEARS SO.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HE WILL
PRESENT WHEN HE GIVES HIS BUDGET
ADDRESS AND WE ARE 80 DAYS AWAY
FROM THAT.
HE DOESN'T WANT THE CURRENT
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO DEAL WITH IT
AND THERE IS NO INCLINATION THEY
ARE DOING TO.
I DON'T THINK WE CAN EXPECT THAT
TO HAPPEN.
HE WILL ALLOW A TEMPORARY
INCREASE AFTER JANUARY, ABOVE
THAT 3.75%, THAT MAY BE LIKELY.
I THINK THE COMMENTS SHOWS HE IS
THINKING OF SOMETHING ON THOSE
LINES.
>> THERE IS AN AMENDMENT THAT
WOULD DECREASE TRANSPARENTCY IN
STATE GOVERNMENT.
TELL US WHAT THAT'S ABOUT?
>> THE END OF THE VETO SESSION
AND PEOPLE AREN'T PAYING
ATTENTION AND YOU HAVE THINGS
INTRODUCED, OVER THE
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY, THAT
CAUGHT PEOPLE OFFGUARD.
PETITIONS IT IS COMPLICATED HOW
IT WORKS BUT WHAT HE SAID WAS
THAT, CRITICS SAY IT WILL HAM
HAMPER ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT
DOCUMENTS.
IF A PUBLIC OFFICIAL IS SPEAKING
IN PUBLIC AND MENTIONS, THERE IS
A REPORT THAT I RELIED ON, AND
IT WOULD LIMIT WHAT MEMBERS OF
THE PUBLIC, OR JOURNALISTS COULD
SEE WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT
THERE.
AND THERE ARE, THERE IS THE
THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HARDER FOR
PEOPLE TO TRY AND GET DOCUMENTS
THAT ARE LEGALLY WITHHELD
BECAUSE IT IS TOUGHER TO RECOUP
THEIR ATTORNEY'S FEES.
>> WHAT IF MIKE MADIGAN IS
BEHIND THIS, WHAT IS THE
MOTIVATION, WHAT PROBLEM IS THIS
TRYING TO SOLVE?
>> ACTUALLY HE SAYS THAT IT IS
AN INITIATIVE OF SENATE
PRESIDENT JOHN PECULIARERTON AND
YOU HAVE HIGH POWERED AT PLAY
HERE.
THE SENATE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
HASN'T TALKED MUCH ABOUT IT BUT
IT APPEARS THEY THINK WHEN
ILLINOIS DID THIS BIG REWRITE OF
THIS LAW IN 2009 IT IS NOT BEING
FOLLOWED AS INTENDED.
WHAT INDIVIDUALS LIKE ATTORNEY
GENERAL AND BETTER GOVERNMENT
ASSOCIATION AND ILLINOIS PRESS A
RACIAL SAYS NO WE HAVE COURT
PRECEDENTS AND THIS IS ABOUT
ILLINOIS TRYING TO BLOCK
TRANSPARENTCY AT A TIME WHEN
BILLS ARE GOING THROUGH REALLY
QUICK BEFORE A NEW GENERAL
ASSEMBLY COMES IN.
WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR THIS
TO PASS?
>> IT IS REALLY SO UP IN THE AIR
IT IS HARD TO MAKE THAT
PREDICTION WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE
LIKE PRESIDENT CULLERTON BEHIND
A BILL, THEY CAN WORK THEIR
MAGIC BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF
NEGOTIATIONS THAT PLAY, INTO ONE
OF SEVERAL BILLS THAT ARE
WINDING THROUGH THE GENERAL A AS
MANIBLY IN THE FINAL DAYS AND IT
REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF THAT IS
ONE THEY PUT PRIORITY ON.
WE HAVE BEEN WARNED THIS IS THE
START OF A FIRESTORM.
IF NOT NOW, LOOK OUT
NEGOTIATIONS THAT WILL BE
FORTHCOMING JUST NEXT YEAR.
>> WE TAKE NOTICE OF THAT.
THANK YOU, AMANDA.