Results tagged “martinsandoval”

There's not a whole heck of a lot of time for state lawmakers. The current state budget expires in less than 36 hours (midnight tomorrow). While the failure to reach an agreement won't mean an instant shut-down of the state, it'll definitely be a pain in the ass, as the makeshift budget passed in May contains a whole helluva lot of cuts. The State House is back at work today but the State Senate doesn't kick back into gear tomorrow. At the center of the budget fracas has been Gov. Quinn's call for a higher income tax, yet members of Quinn's own party are questioning Quinn's consistency. Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) told the Tribune, "What Quinn do you get on a given day? There hasn't been a consistent message from the governor's office in regards to solving the fiscal crisis. That also has the legislature acting inconsistently to find a solution." [Tribune, WBEZ]

It appears Governor Quinn has delayed distribution almost $900 million intended for transit improvements in the Chicago area, part of a state mini-capital bill, incurring the wrath of state legislators. State Sen. Martin Sandoval (D-Chicago), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, said the news came from Jack Lavin, Quinn's COO, and budget head Ginger Ostro. Sandoval claims CTA, PACE, and Metra were all told to halt planning on the current projects and to not spend any money. Said Sandoval, "We had a major signing ceremony for the mini-capital bill a few weeks ago with the governor -- and now he's doing a head fake. This tells me Gov. Quinn still has his running mate's playbook that he has dusted off the shelf." Meanwhile, Quinn's staff is saying the projects will be paid for. Quinn Spokeswoman Katie Ridgway told the Tribune, "there is nothing on hold, and it's the governor's intention that transit projects will get started this construction season." The Trib has more details on the specific transit projects affected. [Tribune]