Lawmaker summit ends with angry words, no progress
A backroom meeting meant to bring Illinois' most powerful politicians to the table on key state problems devolved Wednesday into the same name-calling and posturing blamed for months of gridlock.
While House Speaker Michael Madigan left the assembly at the Thompson Center in Chicago early complaining of shouting and threats, Gov. Rod Blagojevich went after his nemesis for opposing mandatory minority ownership of new casinos.
"Speaker Madigan is the only one who doesn't agree that African-Americans ought to participate in the ownership of the casinos," Blagojevich said.
Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said later the governor wasn't trying to portray Madigan as racist.
Madigan's spokesman declined to address the comment. "I really don't care what Blagojevich says," said Steve Brown.
The governor billed the meeting as a chance for all sides to finally hash out a compromise on new casinos, billions of dollars for new roads and a bailout for the CTA, Pace and Metra.
But each legislative leader walked out without much to show for the two-hour meeting. Still, they insisted a deal is in the works. The governor has arranged a second meeting for this morning.
The dispute over mandatory minority ownership of casinos evidently erupted into a verbal dispute between Madigan and state Sen. Rickey Hendon, a Chicago Democrat and black caucus member.
"It became very unproductive and that is why I'm leaving," Madigan said about an hour into the meeting. "There was just a lot of nonproductive shouting and threats and allegations."
Hendon said he wasn't yelling, only speaking loudly.
Meanwhile, Madigan and Blagojevich have been at each other for years. The governor has compared the House speaker to a right-wing Republican and Madigan has refused to consider most of Blagojevich's ideas, like health-care expansion.
The feuding is widely attributed to the state's failure to solve several problems, the most pressing of which now appears to be a transit bailout. CTA, Pace and Metra officials are threatening sweeping service cuts and fare hikes come early January if a deal isn't reached. The so-called doomsday has been postponed twice in recent months thanks to last-minute loans from the governor.
Most legislative leaders now seem to agree the transit cash should come from new casinos, but Madigan continues to stand by a proposed sales tax increase. He has been lukewarm on supporting new casinos, while the governor and Senate President Emil Jones Jr. want to add as many as three, including one in Chicago. Adding slot machines at racetracks is also on the table.
The meeting also included Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.