CHICAGO (AP) — Sponsors of a plan that would’ve ended the practice of the state suing inmates to recoup the costs of their prison room and board say they don’t have votes for an override after Gov. Bruce Rauner used his amendatory veto power to make changes.
The Republican rewrote the bill Friday, saying there are violent offenders with “significant assets” who should compensate victims and the state. He proposed an added financial threshold, among other things.
However, sponsors Democrats Sen. Daniel Biss and Rep. Kelly Cassidy tell The Chicago Tribune the changes have effectively killed the bill because there aren’t votes for an override.
They proposed the legislation saying the practice is unfair, overly punitive and Illinois collects less from the lawsuits than it costs to pursue them.