Illinois state Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) | rephaas.com
Illinois state Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) | rephaas.com
Illinois state Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) recently took to Facebook to preview some last-minute legislation that was set to go before the House when it met after missing a self-imposed budget deadline.
"The House is scheduled to return to Springfield today after Democrats failed to meet their self-imposed budget deadline last Friday," Haas said in the May 24 post.
The post shared a link to a Capitol News Illinois report on the last-minute bills, which included "an expansive cannabis regulatory bill, a change to Illinois’ strongest-in-the-nation biometric privacy law, a broad elections bill and an ethics proposal prohibiting political donations from red light camera companies among other reforms." Those bills and more were still on the table when the General Assembly failed to reach a budget deal on time.
In the weekly roundup post on her website, Haas explained why legislators were forced to return to Springfield.
"Today is our scheduled adjournment for our spring legislative session this year," she said in the May 19 post. "However, we will need to keep working past our scheduled adjournment until we pass our state budget. Please feel free to continue reaching out to my office and voicing your thoughts on legislation in the General Assembly."
Haas also noted that while she was away in Springfield, her staff was busy working in the 79th District.
"My staff attended a meeting about starting a mental health court in Kankakee County!" she said in the roundup. "It was hosted by Judge Lindsay Parkhurst and attended by local law enforcement, service providers, and elected officials."
In an update, Gov. JB Pritzker announced on May 24 that he and other Democrats in the General Assembly had come to an agreement on the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget, a WCIA report said. The governor had joined House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) and Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) in the Capitol to discuss the budget.
“I vowed to work with the General Assembly to bring fiscal sanity to Illinois while restoring a compassionate state government that invests in the things that build a stronger economy and future,” Pritzker said. “I’m pleased to say that’s exactly what this balanced budget does, for the fifth time in a row.”
AP News reported that the Democrats' budget is well over $50 billion, up from the $49.6 billion projected in February.
The budget document can be viewed here.
Alerts Sign-up