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Political Expert Says Things Improving, But Still Out of Hand

While residents wait for a new budget to be agreed upon, one political expert says things seem to be improving, but the budget situation is still out of hand.

Kent Redfield is a political science professor at the University of Illinois at Springfield. He says things have improved ever so slightly in recent days, but the budget situation is still very much out of hand.

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Lawmakers are in Springfield and while things are at a stalemate, it's not all the members of the General Assembly's fault. According to Redfield, the hold up is really Gov. Bruce Rauner, Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton getting into a room and hashing things out.

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The Governor is requesting to have some of his pro-business agenda items passed before he'll sign a budget but Democrats are unwilling to negotiate. Redfield says fault lies on both parties in this situation.

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Redfield calls the state holding out on social service agencies "unconscionable" and feels the state has little motivation to get things resolved because of other budget items and negotiations that have been resolved.

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Redfield believes lawmakers need to find middle ground and get a budget passed. He feels it could a few weeks to a month before something is in place but does not believe it will drag on all the way into the fall session.

Redfield says he's never seen anything like this in Springfield and calls it "unprecedented".

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