Rush, Rush: With One More Try Legislature Passes Budget At Last Minute

By vouchey in News on Jun 1, 2005 8:49PM

Mere hours before state law would require a budget resolution to pass with a supermajority -- and thus Republican votes, the Democratic-controlled state House and Senate passed a budget that spares the CTA and sends more money to schools across the state, but takes money from state pensions and a gajillion little funds the state never seems to use (but could one day). The winners: Democratic legislators who get to go home on time with a balanced budget. The losers: Republican legislators, who got shut out of the process, unlike last year's overtime budget session, when they got to take lots of credit for last minute deals.

Despite losing out, the Republicans still get the best quote of the day from the Sun Times:

"How can anybody with any kind of conscience at all vote yes for a budget that does this?" said Rep. Jim Sacia (R-Pecatonica). "Our governor talks about testicular virility, and he's raping each and every one of us, our children and our grandchildren."

Mmmm. Hyperbole.