House rejects Madigan’s attempt to clog federal-funds pass-through bill

Through this latest bit of gamesmanship, Madigan delayed the enactment of the state’s uncontroversial federal-funds pass-through legislation.

On Aug. 4, the Illinois Senate passed Senate Bill 2042, which would appropriate – or “pass through” – $4.8 billion in federal money for programs in Illinois.

The pass-through bill had bipartisan backing, and Gov. Bruce Rauner supported it, as well. SB 2042, in its original format, provided federal funds for many state programs, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

On Aug. 11, however, Madigan proposed, and the Appropriations Committee passed, an amendment to the bill, which would have added provisions costing $584 million, to be paid from Illinois’ General Revenue Fund.

Rauner called the amendment a “poison pill” that muddied what was clean, bipartisan legislation. The bill was put before the House for a vote on Aug. 12, and the amended version with the General Revenue Fund appropriations did not pass.

House members added another amendment to restore the original provisions of the bill, removing all appropriations of state funds. This version passed the House unanimously.

Through this latest bit of gamesmanship, Madigan delayed the enactment of the state’s uncontroversial federal-funds pass-through legislation. This goes to show that Madigan will hold up even broadly supported bills to get what he wants: to circumvent honest budget negotiations, much to the detriment of the people of Illinois.