Illinois Senate approves temporary budget

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WLS) -- The Illinois Senate approved a one-month, temporary budget to keep state government operating. It now goes to Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has threatened to veto it.

"We would strongly recommend to the governor that he put politics aside, that he ignore the advice of his campaign advisors, and sign the bill," House Speaker Michael Madigan said. The Illinois House approved the bill last week.

Rauner is locked in a standoff with Democratic lawmakers.

The $2.3 billion spending plan covers "essential" services such as police protection but adds payroll for all 64,500 state workers. The vote in the Senate was 39-0 with 15 "present" votes.

Still demanding reforms in exchange for revenue to balance a full year's budget, the governor criticized lawmakers for accepting paychecks while the salaries of most state workers are in jeopardy.

"It's time to stop protecting the political class at the expense of the middle class," Gov. Rauner said through a spokesperson.

"The real showdown here is can we get some reforms? And the governor is demanding that," Senator Christine Radogno, (R) minority leader, said.

In another action, the Senate overrode Rauner's earlier vetoes of five bills that would fund critical government services for the entire year. However, House Democrats could not muster the votes for an override in their chamber.

"What it means is we are at a true stalemate with respect to budget, and frankly, the fiscal future of our state," State Rep. Ron Sandack, (R), Downers Grove, said.

Finally, at the end of another week of stalemate, Speaker Madigan appeared no closer to compromise on the governor's pro-business turnaround agenda that would lessen the power of organized labor in Illinois.

"The budget deficit can be solved if everybody acts reasonably, acts in moderation, does not take any of this to the extreme," Madigan said.