Illinois Valley Times

Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) felt compelled to remind his colleagues of the separation of the executive and legislative branches of government on Friday.

“It’s now becoming a daily tradition that just before adjournment we spend moments of the few precious days we have left in this session making political speeches about the governor, but what is important that we as members of the House of Representative remember is that the responsibility for passing legislation lies with us in this chamber,” Demmer said.

Demmer was responding to Rep. Lou Lang’s (D-Skokie) admonishment of Gov. Bruce Rauner and his alleged failure to work with Democratic legislators in passing a balanced budget. 

Lang referred to a letter composed by Rep. Barbara Flynn Curie (D-Chicago) that urged Rauner to meet with a Democratic negotiating team to work on a compromise that Lang claimed Rauner rejected. 

Demmer countered that House Republican Leader Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) responded to the letter by assembling a group of Republican representatives to speak with the Democratic caucus. They are still willing to meet, Demmer said.

“After all, the responsibility for voting on legislations lies with us representatives in this chamber and not with the second floor,” Demmer said. “We remain willing to meet with your negotiating team anytime, anyplace. We as your colleagues are ready to work together with you. If you don’t feel any longer that the working group is the approach to take, OK, we can have leadership involvement. Leader Durkin has extended the opportunity to meet with Speaker [Michael] Madigan, and we’ve not heard back on that.”

He said Democrats were misdirecting their attacks by targeting Rauner.

“We don’t need to, every day, invoke political attacks against the second floor as an excuse for why things aren’t happening,” Demmer said. “The opportunity is with us, and we as House Republicans have extended the opportunity for working groups to meet together, for negotiating teams to meet together or for our leaders to meet together. Don’t abdicate the responsibility that we have as representatives. Let’s get this done, anywhere, anytime -- even right now.”