THE ILLINOIZE: McCombie on budget: "This is no way to do business"...Lots of Dems still in the dark...State GOP backs off endorsements

May 23, 2023

Good morning, Illinois.

Congratulations to our old friend Kevin Johnson, the President of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association, and his lovely wife Anna on the birth of their beautiful daughter Kambryn Jane. She was born Saturday and is a healthy little beauty. Photo!

The House and Senate return tomorrow. Governor Pritzker doesn’t have anything on his public schedule. He hasn’t been in front of media since May 11.

We’ll be in Springfield starting tomorrow to watch all of the fireworks detonate or slowly smolder, or just turn out to be complete duds.

Paid subscribers get all of our newsletters, breaking news alerts, updates, and all of the other good stuff we can come up with for them. I hope you’ll take a minute to join us on this important week.

Let’s get to it.

McCOMBIE ON BUDGET BATTLE: “NO WAY TO DO BUSINESS”

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) has spent her first session leading her caucus on the outside looking in of most meaningful debate under the Capitol dome.

Her GOP caucus holds just 40 of 118 seats, the smallest caucus since the cutback amendment in the early 80’s, meaning Democrats don’t need Republican input or votes to pass nearly any legislation, whether controversial or not.