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Madigan to bring 4-year property tax freeze to vote Wednesday

SPRINGFIELD - Declaring "nobody gets 100 percent," Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan on Tuesday laid out his own spending plan and signaled he's ready to vote on four key reforms, including on property taxes and government consolidation - despite ongoing negotiations and House Republican concerns that his budget isn't balanced.

Legislators have just three more days of a special session to pass a budget before a new fiscal year begins on Saturday.

On Tuesday, leaders met for the second time since Sunday - sans Gov. Bruce Rauner. And once again, Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin voiced concerns over Democratic "dilution" of reform measures, while accusing Democrats of moving the goal posts.

But Madigan told reporters he plans to call four reforms for a vote on Wednesday: workers' compensation reform, a property tax freeze, local government consolidation and pension reform.

"This is governmental negotiation, and I think you all know that in governmental negotiation, like negotiations in most other areas, nobody gets 100 percent," Madigan said of the governor's reform requests. "Everybody gets something less than 100 percent."

• For more on this story, check chicago.suntimes.com.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, answers questions before attending a meeting of the four legislative leaders Tuesday at the Capitol in Springfield. Ted Schurter/The State Journal-Register via AP
Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Riverside, and House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago, advocate for a property tax freeze before the House Revenue and Finance Committee Tuesday at the State Capitol in Springfield. Associated Press
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