Illinois Senate skips planned budget vote, will return Thursday

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois senators, still grappling with the sticker shock of a tax increase and other far-reaching restructuring to end the nation's longest state budget deadlock, skipped a much-anticipated vote on the massive package and adjourned early Wednesday evening.

Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, and Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Elmhurst, had set up Wednesday as decision day on their bipartisan plan to end the longest budget drought of any state since World War II. That plan includes new taxes to drive down a multibillion-dollar deficit while attempting to address Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's demands for changes to ease the cost of business and crimp the influence of unions and politicians.

The Senate vote was to cap a big day at the Capitol. The Republican governor lauded the Senate's cooperation earlier Wednesday during his annual State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly.

"Please don't give up. Please keep working. The people of Illinois need you to succeed," Rauner said, going off script.

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