41.

>>> STATE REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE

PROPOSING A PLAN THEY CALL A

LIFETIME TO SOCIAL SERVICE

PROGRAMS THAT STRUGGLED DURING

THE BUDGET IMPASSE.

BUT IT COMES WITH A CATCH...

JOINING US FROM SPRINGFIELD TO

TALK ABOUT THAT AND MORE IS

"CHICAGO TONIGHT"'S AMANDA

VINICKY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

AND EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT THE

OFFER IS, WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS?

>> THIS WOULD BE ABOUT $1.3

BILLION TOWARDS SOCIAL SERVICES

THAT HAVE GONE WITHOUT FUNDING,

MENTAL HEALTH MEDICINE,

ADDICTION TREATMENT, MONEY FOR

THE ELDERLY AND THE SPECIAL

OLYMPICS MOST OF THAT COMES FROM

SPECIAL FUNDS MEANT FOR THE

CAUSES.

BUT A THIRD OF IT DOES COME FROM

THE STATE'S GENERAL BANKING

ACCOUNT THAT IS WHERE ILLINOIS

IS RUNNING THAT GIANT DEFICIT.

>> HOW WOULD THIS $1.3 BILLION

PROGRAM INITIATIVE BE FUNDED?

>> WELL, REPUBLICANS SAY THAT

WHATEVER THEY DO THEY WANT TO

TIE TO A WAY TO PAY FOR IT.

THEIR PLAN IS TO GO FORWARD WITH

THE PENSION DEAL THAT THE

GOVERNOR AND SENATE PRESIDENT

WORKED OUT BUT HAS NOT MOVED

THAT WOULD AFFECT CURRENT

WORKERS AND EMPLOYEES AND IS

KNOWN AS THE CONSIDERATION MODEL

BASICALLY THEY WOULD HAVE TO

MAKE A CHOICE ABOUT KEEPING THE

RICHER PENSION BENEFIT FOR TAKE

A SMALLER PAY OUT LATER ON IN

TERMS OF COLAS.

BUT THEN IT DEALS WITH SOME

MATTERS THAT WOULD BRING IN MORE

IMMEDIATE SAVINGS TO THE STATE.

THINGS THAT THE GOVERNOR TALKED

ABOUT WAY BACK WHEN HE GAVE THE

BUDGET ADDRESS AND THOSE WOULD

BE IF YOU HAVE A PUBLIC EMPLOYER

A UNIVERSITY THAT IS PAYING

SOMEBODY THAT WORKS IN THEIR

MEDICINE SCHOOL A LOT OF MONEY

OVER $180,000, THAT IS WHAT THE

GOVERNOR WOULD BE MAKING AS THE

STATE SALARY, THEN THAT COST

WOULD NO LONGER BE BORN BY THE

STATE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID

FOR BY THE EMPLOYER AND THAT

COULD AFFECT LOCAL SCHOOL

DISTRICTS WHO PAY TOP DOLLAR TO

THE SUPERINTENDENTS.

THOSE CHANGES.

>> CHRISTINA RADOGNO SAYS THE

EFFORT WAS NEAR AND DEAR TO HER

HEART.

EXPAND ON THAT?

>> YOU SEE, SHE DID SAY THIS IS

NEAR AND DEAR BECAUSE SHE BECAME

A SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADER SHE

HAILS FROM MY HOMETOWN LA GRANGE

AND SHE WAS A SOCIAL WORKER.

AND LET ME SAY THAT THIS IS ONE

OF THE THINGS THAT HAS GOTTEN SO

MUCH ATTENTION AS WE HAVE TALKED

WITH THE STATE BUDGET ABOUT 90%

OF IT IS BEING FUNDED AND IT'S

REALLY HIGHER EDUCATION AND THE

SOCIAL SERVICES THAT HAVE BEEN

LEFT OUT.

>> SO WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT

LAWMAKERS THAT THIS BUDGET

IMPASSE DRAGS ON THE FACT THAT

SO MANY CERTAINLY OF SERVICE

AGENCIES HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING

AND RALLIES IS THIS AN

INDICATION THAT THE LEGISLATORS

ARE OK WE HEAR YOU AND WILL TRY

TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

>> IT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE UNDER

PRESSURE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT

IT AND REPUBLICANS AT THE LEAST

MAKING AN ATTEMPT OR TRYING TO

MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE

MAKING AND ATTEMPT.

THEY CAME THROUGH WITH A SIMILAR

PROPOSAL FUNDING HIGHER

EDUCATION AND THEY TIED THAT TO

PROCUREMENT CHANGES THAT WOULD

PAY FOR IT AND DEMOCRATS HAVE SO

FAR SAID NO TO BOTH OF THOSE.

THEY HAVE NOT SAID NO IN A WORD.

NONETHELESS THEY WANT THE

GOVERNOR TO DROP HIS OTHER TURN

AROUND AGENDA DEMANDS.

AS LONG AS THEY ARE OUT THERE

THERE IS NOT GOING TO BE ONE BIG

DEAL.

VERY MUCH THERE IS A LOT OF

PRESSURE.

AND FOR SOME SOCIAL SERVICE

AGENCIES IT IS TOO LATE.

MANY HAVE CLOSED THEIR DOORS AND

THERE ARE A LOT OF LAYOFFS SAME

FOR UNIVERSITIES.

>> HOUSE MINORITY LEADER JIM

DURKIN WAS ASKED IF THE GOVERNOR

SHOULD SIGN A BILL TO HELP

CHICAGO AND PENSION COSTS.

>> THAT WAS A SEMI PENSION

HOLIDAY CAUGHT IN THERE AND IT

COULD POSSIBLY PUT A SIGNIFICANT

BURDEN ON CHICAGO TAXPAYERS.

>> SO WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE

CHANCES OF THE GOVERNOR SIGNING

THE BILL?

>> WELL THERE IS A REASON THAT

YOUR LISTENERS AND VIEWERS MAY

HAVE NOT HEARD ABOUT THIS

BECAUSE THIS MEASURE PASSED IN

JUNE.

AND SENATE PRESIDENT CULLERTON

HELD ON TO IT BECAUSE HE WAS

FEARFUL THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD

VETO IT.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAYOR

EMANUEL VERY MUCH WANTS HIM TO

SIGN AND THE CITY'S BUDGET

DEPENDS ON THAT.

AT THE TIME BACK IN JUNE, THE

GOVERNOR SAID HE WAS

DISAPPOINTED IN THIS EFFORT THAT

IT WOULD FURTHER KICK THE CAN

DOWN THE ROAD.

IT DOES NOT APPEAR AS IF

ANYTHING CHANGED BUT RAUNER HAS