Friday, July 6, 2007 1:17 AM CDT
Lottery sale plan may get nixed
By KURT ERICKSON, JG/T-C Springfield Bureau
kurt.erickson@lee.net
SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s plan to privatize the state lottery may soon join his other proposals in the legislative dustbin.
In comments Thursday, House Minority Leader Tom Cross predicted the concept, which would raise an estimated $10 billion to help bail out the state’s troubled pension systems, will be rejected by the Illinois House as early as today.
Such a move would be yet another political setback for the governor, who has already watched as lawmakers this spring voted down his plan to raise business taxes to finance a massive expansion of the state’s health insurance system.
“It is, quite frankly, a bad deal,” Cross said of the lottery sale proposal.
Cross’ prediction came as lawmakers Thursday met for the first time in a special session, called last week by Blagojevich as a way to break the impasse over the state budget.
Blagojevich declined an opportunity to personally lobby for his plan before the full House and didn’t emerge from his Statehouse office all day. He did talk to television reporters privately and told them he believed the House hearing on the lottery sale was a “three-ring circus.”
Lawmakers and the governor are nearly six weeks into an overtime session because of wide disagreement over his plan to boost spending on health care and education.
The House and Senate earlier averted a government shutdown by approving a temporary budget that will expire on July 31.
Republicans and House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, have proposed a slimmed down budget plan relying on no major tax increases.
To drive that point home, the House earlier rejected Blagojevich’s efforts to raise revenues, leaving few options to pay for expanded programs. The lottery proposal is now poised to fail, said Cross.
“There’s nowhere else to go,” said Cross, R-Oswego. “We believe we can live within our means.”
Thursday’s action in the General Assembly was dominated by a six-hour-long hearing about the state’s pension systems.
The administration wants to use the proceeds of the lottery sale to generate money to meet its obligation to keep the pension systems funded.
But in the hours of testimony, lawmakers repeatedly hammered home the point that the state shouldn’t give up the reliable stream of revenue produced by the lottery in exchange for a one-time payment.
The governor wasn’t the only one absent from the proceedings. At least 20 members of the House didn’t show up Thursday. The Senate met for less than 15 minutes and left some members angry at having to be in town during the summer months when they are usually back home in their districts.
“I really think it’s ridiculous,” state Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Clare. “I think we’re further apart now than we were at the end of May, so I really think that it’s a little ridiculous for us all to be here at this point.”
Madigan said Blagojevich’s decision to not appear at the hearing was puzzling, given that the governor has consistently called for more direct discussions between himself and rank-and-file lawmakers.
State Rep. Bob Pritchard, R-Hinckley, also was disappointed in the governor’s absence.
“If we’re going to keep our boat afloat… we’re going to have to work together,” said Pritchard.
Lawmakers are scheduled to be back in session today. Blagojevich has threatened to keep the General Assembly in town every day until a budget agreement is reached.
Kurt Erickson can be reached at kurt.erickson@lee.net or 217-789-0865.
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