Editorial: Government must find a compromise

Staff Editorial

The budget impasse in Illinois continues as the state will enter its 10th month without a budget on April 1.

Action was taken on Thursday as the Democrats in the Senate voted to approve Senate Bill 2059, which would authorizing spending $3.8 billion on higher education and social programs.

In Monday’s edition of The Daily Eastern News, the article “Righter, Phillips react to primary victories, legislative movement,” said the bill passed on a 39-18 vote.

The Journal Gazette & Times Courier story titled, “State Senate approves $3.8B budget bill,” reported that Sen. Heather Steans said the bill would allow universities, community colleges and other programs to, “get in line for payment from the state.”

Democrats argued that without the bill or spending authorization, higher education and other social programs would have no hope in receiving any type of funding.

According to The News article, Sen. Dale Righter of the 55th Senate voted against the bill because it would only add to the debt the state already has.

Righter said the bill would have people waiting months for money, and continued to say Eastern needs money now rather than waiting behind others to get funding.

Gov. Bruce Rauner said he would veto the bill if it were to arrive at his desk, according to the JG-TC.

It is becoming more apparent that the ongoing budget impasse has gone on long enough to the point where higher education is Illinois is suffering.

No one could have imagined that this would still be going on at this point in time as we are about to complete our ninth month without a budget.

Universities need a realistic budget to be passed that would not underfund higher education or social programs, but also that does not have overspending to the point where people are waiting months for funding, or not being funded at all.

Both Democrats and Republicans have valid ideas to contribute to the solution, but it will require both sides being willing to accept that they cannot decide on everything. The legislative process is the way it is for a reason, so no one way of thinking dominates over another.

Eastern recently laid off 177 workers because the lack of a budget.

That could have been avoided entirely along with the layoffs over the summer.

Rauner could be someone to blame for the ongoing the budget impasse, but is he the only one to blame at this point?

Rauner plays a large part in the matter, but the constant disagreements between the Democrats and Republicans has led Illinois nowhere.

Both sides have proven stubbornness leads to nothing, and the only way to move forward is to find compromise.

  The daily editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Daily Eastern News