By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News
An appeals court ruled late last week the comptroller’s office can continue to pay state workers even without a budget.
Governor Bruce Rauner said he can’t support the one-month budget lawmakers approved last week. He said House Speaker Mike Madigan is trying to force the governor to back a tax increase. Rauner says if Madigan wants a tax increase, he has the backing of enough legislators to do it without him.
Rauner said the money he has given state lawmakers is not at attempt to buy votes.
About one third of those GOP lawmakers said they haven’t taken the money the governor offered.
In other news, cracking down on illegal guns flowing into Illinois is the goal of new legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.).
Kirk’s bill targets both buyers and sellers. It would make it a federal crime for a seller to transfer two or more firearms to someone they may suspect can’t legally own a gun, or any buyer to acquire two or more guns if they suspect the transaction is illegal.
If enacted, the punishment for violating the gun trafficking provisions would be 20 years in prison, along with an additional five years for any individual proven to be running a gun trafficking ring.
Similar legislation failed in the Senate in 2013 when Democrats were in the majority.
