Simply
about nothing occurred within the first week of veto session within the Home and the
Senate. The Democratic legislative leaders are nonetheless making an attempt to determine what
their members need to do within the wake of Republican President-Elect Donald
Trump’s victory and whether or not that may be executed. Whether or not that motion begins within the
second and closing week of veto session, or within the lame duck January session or
within the common spring session continues to be up within the air as I write this.
“We’re
going to need to do one thing,” Home Speaker Chris Welch informed me, however he
couldn’t say what that “one thing” was simply but. “I feel it is necessary that
we let the conversations occur. These conversations need to occur in order that we
come to alignment on that.”
Requested
about Trump’s financial message of constantly railing in opposition to inflation and
promising no earnings taxes on additional time, ideas and Social Safety, Welch mentioned, “I
suppose the financial message labored. I feel the financial message and what we have
been by way of on this nation was crucial, and we’ll need to
hear and acknowledge that. And as Democrats in Illinois, I feel we have already
executed a superb job of doing that, however we’ll need to proceed to hearken to
the voters in the case of that financial message. Pay attention, Trump gained, and he
gained in a powerful manner. Now we have to acknowledge that, and we’ve got to be
accountable.”
Welch
continued: “If we do not hearken to voters right here and make the mandatory adjustments,
significantly on the nationwide stage, fairly frankly, I feel nationally, they will
do much more of what we have executed right here in Illinois. If we do not hearken to the
voters, we’re not going to reverse what occurred right here on Tuesday.”
When
requested concerning the projected huge price range deficit, the Home Speaker mentioned, “The governor
and I want to take a seat down and have some critical conversations about how we’re
going to strategy subsequent 12 months’s $3.1 billion price range deficit and are available to an
settlement. I feel it is necessary that we be in alignment and stroll in the identical
path on that, and we’re ready to do this.”
Speaker
Welch just lately employed a brand new appropriations employees director. Whereas praising the
outgoing director, Welch mentioned his new director, Madeline McCune – a former
Home staffer who left to run the legislative store for the Illinois Affiliation
of Faculty Directors – is drawing kudos from far and vast.
The
Home Democrats haven’t been in a position to draft a price range through the previous two
classes.
“I
suppose she’s going to take us to a different stage,” Welch mentioned of McCune. “There’s
a historical past there with the Senate crew. There is a historical past with the governor’s
crew. And one of many issues that we’ll need to do going into a really
tough price range 12 months, we’ve started working collectively. Now we have to all be clicking
on the identical web page and on all cylinders, and with Madeline there, we’re not going
to only not miss a beat, we’ll elevate our sport.”
Talking
of employees, Welch additionally acknowledged that he’s telling his members to count on some
important adjustments in his operations through the coming 12 months. “I’ve to
acknowledge that we’ve got to do issues just a little bit totally different,” Welch mentioned.
The
Home Democrats have had critical staffing shortages, underqualified employees and
main employees turnover issues. One of many causes is a decades-old handshake
settlement that the occasion caucus {dollars} are divided equally in each chambers,
with the Senate getting extra total as a result of their districts are twice as giant
because the Home districts.
So,
though Welch has 78 members, his caucus is appropriated the identical quantity as
the Home Republicans, who’ve 40 members. And it receives lower than the
Senate Democrats, who’ve 40 members, and fewer than the Senate Republicans,
who’ve a mere 19 members.
“We
have to handle that,” Welch mentioned. “And I am gonna combat like hell to handle
that, as a result of that is the way in which that I can tackle plenty of my staffing
points.”
“The place’s
the equity and fairness in that?” Welch rhetorically requested concerning the
disparities. “And so, do know, because the chief of this chamber, that is one of many
issues that I am laser-focused on. And the voters have spoken. They’ve elected
78 Democrats twice now, presumably extra, and we’ll combat to ensure we
have the correct assets to handle the employees and the issues.”
Welch
additionally promised to make additional “essential tweaks to raise our sport,” within the
coming spring session.
