Two Republicans vote alongside Democrats to approve budget plan

SPRINGFIELD - Thanks to a vote from a suburban Republican, the Democratic-controlled Illinois House approved a budget plan Tuesday that relies on billions of dollars worth of borrowing and effectively delays tough fiscal decisions until next year.

The state will borrow $3.7 billion to cover pension contributions and come up with billions more by tapping surpluses in special state accounts and selling off the rights to payments from a legal settlement with cigarette makers. Lawmakers and state officials would take a dozen furlough days and have their mileage reimbursements, hotel and meal money cut. Additionally, state government operations would be slashed 5 percent under the plan the House approved.

The key, however, was the pension borrowing provision.

Elmhurst Republican state Rep. Bob Biggins was one of two GOP members - the other being Danville's Bill Black - to vote with Democrats on pension borrowing. Their votes provided the bare minimum needed for approval. The final vote was 71-44 in the 118-member chamber.

Democrats control 70 votes, but borrowing requires support of 60 percent of lawmakers, meaning one Republican was needed. When Marengo Democrat Jack Franks also voted no, majority Democrats needed two Republicans. Neither Biggins nor Black is seeking re-election and will not return to the Capitol next year.

Making Biggins' vote especially surprising was that earlier Tuesday he'd voted "no" on the very same proposal, only to have a change of heart during a break between the two votes.

"I took a walk during the break," Biggins told reporters.

Biggins said, he briefly met with the governor's chief of staff, Jerry Stermer, but offered few specifics on what was discussed. Biggins denied suggestions that there may have been a quid pro quo.

"No," Biggins said. "I asked for nothing."

Quinn's aides also said nothing was offered.

Biggins defended his vote, saying borrowing to make the payment was better than skipping it. Interest on the borrowing will come in at roughly $1 billion over eight years, whereas skipping the payment could ring up nearly $20 billion by the time the state catches up and makes the pension systems whole.

"That's the difference in what the costs would be to the state. This is a much less expensive way to go," Biggins said.

House Republican leader Tom Cross called their votes disappointing and said he wasn't sad to see Biggins and Black leave the General Assembly.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, a Chicago Democrat, offered little explanation on the events.

"Strange things happen in the land of the midnight sun," Madigan told reporters in the House press gallery.

The proposal does not wipe out the $13 billion deficit Illinois faces, but appears to buy lawmakers and Gov. Pat Quinn added time and potentially pushes the issue past the November election. Quinn is actively seeking a tax increase but has been unable to rally the votes for one at the Capitol. His Republican opponent for governor - Bloomington state Sen. Bill Brady - opposes a tax increase.

The Illinois House also approved a plan that would let state tax cheats pay up without facing penalties. But key components remain unresolved as funding for education grants relies on a yet-unapproved cigarette tax.

The two rogue Republicans weren't the only lawmakers to set aside earlier concerns. Also voting for the deal was a group of mostly suburban Democrats who in protest withheld their votes on a similar proposal earlier this month. Since then, they'd worked to put together $1.3 billion in budget cuts.

But many of those proposals failed to gain support from their colleagues Tuesday. For instance, a plan to require retired state employees pay for their health insurance was rejected. Retired teachers pay for their insurance, but state employees who retire before being eligible for Medicare do not.

"In some ways we were successful, in some ways we weren't," said Northbrook Democrat Elaine Nekritz. "But now that we're down to the wire and given the menu of options that were before us, I thought borrowing was the best of those options."

• Daily Herald staff writers Chase Castle and Timothy Magaw contributed to this report.