Rauner’s consolidated legislation includes some old items (a property tax freeze, allowing local governments to limit collective bargaining and opt out of prevailing wage laws) and some new additions (allowing schools to use outside contractors for certain services, increased funding for impoverished school districts).
“I believe this is the single most important piece of legislation which we can pass this year,” Rauner said.
One bill is how Rauner would prefer it remain, as he called on House Speaker Michael Madigan not to try to separate the proposals.
“I’m asking the Speaker not to break the bill apart into little pieces, not to call sham votes on individual pieces. Debate the bill in its entirety and vote on the bill in its entirety,” Rauner said.
State Rep. Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) doesn’t see the legislation as much of a compromise, since it still includes Rauner what calls “local control”– allowing local governments or voters to remove certain topics from the collective bargaining process.
“Taking five bills that have failed and placing them into one bill really doesn’t have a very good chance of passing,” Mautino said.
Rauner has insisted earlier votes on parts of this current proposal weren’t legitimate.
Rauner combining agenda into one bill, Dems not swayed
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner is combining several of his proposals into one bill, but that doesn’t seem to sway Democrats opposed to parts of his agenda.