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.