SPRINGFIELD…..On Tuesday, State Representative Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) accused House Democrats of engaging in more “gotcha politics,” when they attempted a veto override vote of SB 570 even though a bipartisan agreement had been reached on the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) bill just days before.
“When the Rauner administration and a coalition of bipartisan legislators forged a deal over the weekend to bring CCAP eligibility thresholds almost back to their original levels, SB 570 became an unnecessary bill,” said Sandack.
“Speaker Madigan continues to turn his back on compromise and bipartisanship, even though in this case we had a reasonable meeting of the minds.”
Earlier this year, Governor Rauner responded to the State’s fiscal crisis by using the emergency powers granted to the executive branch to make a financial adjustment to the CCAP eligibility threshold. Democrats responded to the Governor’s action by adding language to SB 570 that would reverse the Governor’s action and strip him of the ability to use his emergency powers in a similar way in the future. Concerned about the number of families that would have no longer qualified for State subsidized child care, a small bipartisan group began crafting the compromise at about that same time.
In his comments on the House floor Tuesday, Sandack urged lawmakers to back away from the veto override vote on SB 570, and instead allow the agreed compromise to move forward.
“The compromise between the Rauner administration and House Republican and Democrat lawmakers again demonstrates our Governor’s desire to act in good faith on important issues that affect Illinoisans,” said Sandack.
“We had a refreshing example of bipartisanship, but unfortunately Speaker Madigan and his most loyal followers showed yet again that they have no interest in bipartisanship or compromise.”
The veto override vote on SB 570 failed to gain the required 71 votes needed, with the final vote tally on the measure recorded as 70-35-4. To listen to Sandack’s floor debate on the override, click here.
