After months of gridlock, compromise rears its head in Springfield

Good-faith negotiation and trust were foundational to all of the deals made, but some Statehouse Democrats pushed for extreme solutions while others were actively compromising.

After months of political stalemate in Springfield, the week of Nov. 8 saw a flurry of policymaking activity occur in the form of deals and votes, leaving many Illinoisans wondering whether progress was in fact made.

So, was it?

In short, Illinoisans finally saw instances of compromise and can take this week as a step in the right direction.

That said, the good-faith negotiation and trust required to make progress did not appear to be demonstrated by all Democrats in Springfield, some of whom pushed for extreme solutions while others were actively compromising.

Here’s what happened:

• Child care: SB 570, a bill intended to roll back Gov. Bruce Rauner’s cuts to child care while also removing his authority to make emergency rule changes to child care in the future, failed to pass the House of Representatives on Nov. 10. In July, the Rauner administration used emergency rulemaking powers to cut eligibility for the Child Care Assistance Program to 50 percent of the federal poverty line from 185 percent while the state lacked appropriations to fully fund the program. Over the weekend of Nov. 7, the administration negotiated a deal to change the rule to raise the eligibility threshold to 162 percent of the federal poverty line and lift other restrictions it had implemented. This deal came in the face of a vote on SB 570 and appeared to eliminate the need to run the bill, but House Democrats brought the bill up for a vote anyway in what many referred to as a bad-faith tactic after a deal had been negotiated. Republicans speculated during debate that this was a ploy to set up GOP members for a vote that looked bad in elections. The bill did not pass the House due to the actions of a sole Democrat, state Rep. Ken Dunkin of Chicago. Dunkin did not vote for the bill despite heavy pressure because he believed the good-faith deal with the administration was a victory for everyone.

• Appropriations: HB 4305, which would appropriate money from various special funds to its intended beneficiaries, passed the House in near-unanimous fashion on Nov. 10. The bill included payments for local governments, winners of the Illinois Lottery, and 911 administration. This bill did not appropriate any money from the General Revenue Fund. Although the governor previously opposed the bill, he conceded his previous proposals for local-government borrowing and gave his approval to the bill to get this money distributed. However, a Democrat-created roadblock stands between this vote and the bill becoming law. State Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, filed a curious “motion to reconsider,” which means the bill cannot move out of the House until she removes the barrier. Provided this obstacle is eliminated, the bill still needs to go to the Senate, which is not scheduled to meet again in 2015, even though Senate President John Cullerton could call a meeting to make sure this bill becomes law quickly. Thus, the funds that Democrats and Republicans agreed to distribute are being held up indefinitely.

• Nursing homes and at-home care: On Nov. 6, Rauner issued an amendatory veto of a HB 2482, a bill that would have eliminated his emergency rules regarding eligibility for nursing homes and at-home care. Rauner’s suggested changes were relatively mild and also backed off of his plan to recommend more difficult eligibility criteria based on a higher Determination of Need score for applicants. And yet, much like what happened with the Child Care Assistance Program, Democrats attempted to override the veto and push their bill forward, even though many believe the governor’s compromises were part of a deal to avoid such a vote. This controversial override also failed due to Dunkin standing for the negotiated deals.

• Unemployment insurance: The governor’s office worked with business and labor groups to create a negotiated reform package for unemployment insurance, an issue that has been a major component of Rauner’s Turnaround Agenda. The reform was a compromise that makes employees who committed misconduct or fraud ineligible for insurance while also making more generous unemployment insurance available to older workers who are simultaneously eligible for Social Security. This reform deal has yet to see any pushback.

For those looking for reasonable solutions in Springfield, the week of Nov. 8 certainly had its share of victories. On each of these issues, bipartisan discussions moved the ball forward when both sides were willing to come to the table.

But also present was a concerning undercurrent of pitting of good, bipartisan collaboration against political posturing and bad-faith negotiation. Illinoisans need more of what worked this week, rather than the political stunts that almost derailed real progress.