SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Bruce Rauner will voice optimism about “recent bipartisan agreement” with Democratic leaders during his third State of the State address on Wednesday.
But if Mayor Emanuel had his way, the governor would start the speech with three words: “I am sorry.”
In an interview on WTTW-Chicago Tuesday night, Emanuel launched an attack on the governor for a two-year budget impasse, criticizing him as a man who has left the state “rudderless” due to a “rigid ideology and a rigid style.”
“He’s never proposed a balanced budget in two years. I think tomorrow morning when he gets up to speak at the State of the State, he owes the people of Illinois. Start, ‘I am sorry.’ Start with an apology,” Emanuel said.
Emanuel said the governor has “abdicated” his gubernatorial responsibilities and should be offering up solutions “not gum up the works with ideological things that are ancillary.”
“The State of Illinois is rudderless under Rauner,” Emanuel said.
Rauner spokeswoman Catherine Kelly countered by linking Emanuel with Rauner’s political nemesis House Speaker Mike Madigan.
“A partisan rant coming from Madigan’s mayor is unhelpful to progress in Springfield,” Kelly said. “Madigan’s mayor should focus less on alliteration and more on getting his murder capital city under control. “
The war of words between the one-time friends escalated in January after the governor said he wouldn’t support a bill to save two city worker pensions without statewide pension reform. The mayor’s office dubbed him “Governor Gridlock,” while the governor’s administration shot back that Emanuel is “Madigan’s Mayor.”
The name calling was just the latest episode in the increasingly testy public relationship between the two politicians.
Emanuel’s criticism came the night before Rauner will deliver his third State of the State address, in which the governor plans to focus on signs of Democrats and Republicans working together over the past few weeks.
“Through bipartisan cooperation, Illinois can once again be the economic engine of the Midwest and the home of innovation and prosperity,” the governor plans to say, according to prepared remarks provided by the Rauner administration.
The administration said he’ll express optimism because of “recent bipartisan agreement that we need to make changes to the system with passing a truly balanced budget.” That includes Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s pledge earlier this month that he would support economic reforms to grow the economy — including a reinstatement of the EDGE tax credit for businesses to create jobs and an increase of the earned income tax credit.
And a bipartisan Senate budget package includes term limits for legislative leaders, a temporary property tax freeze and local government consolidation — some of Rauner’s preferred reforms.
Rauner will make a push for bipartisan cooperation — while still pushing for the Illinois General Assembly to let voters have their say on redistricting reform and term limits.
“We – Republicans, Democrats, and everyone in between – have a moral obligation to work together to bring change. We, together, can return Illinois to a place of hope, opportunity, and prosperity,” the governor plans to say.
The Illinois Supreme Court last year blocked a proposal that would have taken the politics out of drawing state legislative boundaries. That was viewed as a win for Madigan, who argued the referendum would have affected minority representation in the General Assembly.
Rauner has long said redistricting and term limits should be at the top of the reform agenda so incumbents aren’t locked into power and so that general elections can become more competitive.
The governor also plans to tout accomplishments during his term, including ethics reform, job creation, government efficiency and education funding.
Wednesday marks Rauner’s third State of the State address before the Illinois General Assembly.
Last year, Rauner promised big changes to the state’s education funding formula and its criminal justice system, all while minimally mentioning the budget impasse. He also announced a push for pension reform and education funding.
In his first State of the State address, Rauner spoke more about divisive issues, such as controlling local collective-bargaining and having government workers decide whether they want to join a union.
Noticeably absent from Rauner’s first address in 2015 was any mention of the state’s pension crisis. The governor took office with a $100 billion pension shortfall and a pension reform law in legal limbo.
The state has been without a full budget since July 2015.
Rauner will deliver his budget address on Feb. 15.
