Metro East Sun

Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Highland) hopes Gov. Bruce Rauner’s influence will lead to a budget solution now that Rauner has called state lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session, according to a press release.

“It’s time for lawmakers to get back to work by ending this budget impasse,” Meier said in the statement. “I’m glad Governor Rauner has called a special session in order to jumpstart budget negotiations. For two years in a row the General Assembly has failed to send the Governor a budget which is why we are being called back to work until a bipartisan solution is reached. I am ready to work each day this month until we pass a balanced budget.”

The special session can continue until the end of June, when fiscal year 2017 ends. Illinois has the lowest credit rating of any state, following two years without a full budget, but failing again could bring it down to junk bond status -- something no state has ever dealt with.

Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Highland) | http://www.charliemeier.net/p/about.html

Meier is hopeful that under Rauner’s leadership, lawmakers will reach a compromise.

“Before I was elected to serve in the legislature, Governor Blagojevich called several special sessions which resulted in no action by the General Assembly,” Meier said in his statement. “I hope the outcome will be different this time due to the fact Speaker Madigan is working with a different Governor. A Governor that actually has a plan to improve our state instead of digging our state deeper into debt.”