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Legislative attempts to fix Illinois’ fiscal condition have been thwarted several times in recent weeks by the Democrat majority’s pursuit of political theater, according to State Sen. Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap).

“Governor Bruce Rauner’s Illinois Turnaround agenda is being stagnated by the same tired, stale, and unimpressive leadership that needs to be term-limited out. The legislative majorities’ stranglehold on the State Capitol must be broken loose through redistricting reform to put an end to gerrymandering, and we need to enact business reforms to make Illinois more competitive,” LaHood said.

Governor Bruce Rauner has repeatedly attempted to work with Democrats on the state’s budget plan and other important proposals, including lawsuit reform, workers’ compensation reform, term limits, property tax rate reductions and redistricting reforms. However, LaHood said legislative majority leaders have been “slow-rolling” the negotiations. LaHood pointed to three recent, rarely-used “Committees of the Whole” called by House Speaker Michael Madigan, and an impending vote on an unbalanced budget advanced by both Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton—introduced without input from the Governor or legislative Republicans. 

“We’ve been on a 12-year fiscal crash course but the public sent the message last November that they have had enough when they elected Bruce Rauner and his’ ‘Turnaround Agenda’ to lead Illinois forward,” LaHood said. “Unfortunately, Illinois’ turnaround’ is being trumped by political theater and it’s clear the Democrats in the General Assembly could care less.”

Senator LaHood has signed on as a cosponsor to the legislative proposals to reduce Illinois’ property tax burdens and make the state more economically competitive. The bills included in the Rauner Turnaround agenda are Senate Bills 884,994, 1046 and Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 14 and 15.  

Senator LaHood has been a chief sponsor of term limit legislation, in each of his’ four years in office.