The state of the State

Is the General Assembly spending more money than the governor proposed?

THE FOCUS on Gov. James Thompson's fiscal 1978 budget shifted to the legislature in May as both houses considered the budgets of agencies and departments and other bills which would mandate either an increase in spending or a reduction in revenues. And collective bargaining may change everything.

A study by the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce showed that legislators have introduced appropriations measures totaling $395,487,283 which are not included in Thompson's budget.

In his budget message in March the governor had recommended $5.992 billion in general funds appropriations (see "Thompson's budget," May 1977, p. 24). At that time Thompson asked that spending increases be limited to $300 million so that $110 million of anticipated new state revenue can be used to catch up with prior years' deficits.

The chamber's analysis also showed that supplemental appropriations requiring $13 million more than Thompson asked for in general funds spending during the current fiscal year 1977 were introduced.

The major "overbudget" appropriation proposed for next fiscal year would go for schools. Appearing before the House Appropriations II Committee, state Supt. of Education Joseph M. Cronin said, "The number one priority this year is full funding of the state aid formula that supports the basic educational programs of every district in the state." The board's requested appropriation for the distributive fund, H.B. 689 by Rep. Michael Brady (D., Chicago) is $1.39 billion, an increase of $138 million over the fiscal 1977 appropriation. H.B. 2361 by Rep. Thomas Hanahan (D., McHenry) appropriates $343.1 million to the operations of the Illinois Office of Education.

The governor's Bureau of the Budget and Republicans in both houses fought additional increases in spending for fiscal 1978. Democrats countered by cutting Thompson's budget in some areas and adding funds in others. Most of the votes were along party lines. Although the Senate was voting on appropriations bills on third reading, the House committees were still hearing appropriations measures at the end of May.

While Democrats and Republicans were butting heads over the budget, they were able to reach a compromise in the Senate on a package of crime bills. The members of Senate Judiciary II Committee agreed to recommit 17 bills to the committee and have the full Senate act on four. Earlier in the week of the Senate deadline Thompson had talked of calling a special session if his anticrime bills did not get a fair hearing. "If good bills are lost for political reasons, I may be disposed to call the General Assembly back so we can all focus on crime without the intrusion of 4,000 other bills," he said. The compromise allowed for votes on two Democrat measures, S.B. 92 by Sen. Buzbee and S.B. 165 by Sen. George Sangmeister (D., Joliet) and Sen. Robert Egan (D., Chicago). The two Republican bills in the anticrime package are S.B. 1274 and 1275 by Sen. Jack Bowers (R., Downers Grove). S.B. 92 was defeated by a 22-23 vote but the other three passed overwhelmingly.

Thompson's executive orders combining the departments of General Services and Finance and reorganizing the Department of Law Enforcement were accepted by both houses during the same week. The Senate offered no opposition to Thompson's plans, but the Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to reject the law enforcement changes. Because of absentees, their rejection attempt lost by seven votes.

Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining may prove the ultimate danger to Gov. Thompson's budget as appropriations for 1978 were being increased because of negotiated wage increases. An example of this is H.B. 2383, which appropriates $1 million for personnel in the Secretary of State's Office. Sponsored by Rep E. J. "Zeke" Giorgi (D., Rockford) and Thomas Hanahan, the bill received a "do pass" recommendation from the House Appropriations I Committee but not without some opposition from the Republicans on the committee. Rep. Roscoe Cunningham (R., Lawrenceville) said, "What's involved is the substitution of another agency for the General Assembly. We're told our job is to furnish the money and that's the extent of it." Hanahan countered that the legislature does not have the time to sit down and negotiate with every employee.

A hidden cost in such negotiated wage increases is their effect on non-union personnel wages. This was demonstrated in appropriations hearings on H.B. 2381, sponsored by Rep. Gerald Bradley (D., Bloomington), which appropriates the ordinary and contingent expenses of the secretary of state. Included in the bill was a provision for a 4 per cent wage increase for non-union personnel. Secy. of State Alan Dixon said this was to bring these employees up to the negotiated pay increase for the union personnel. Rep. Donald Totten (R., Schaumburg) noted that this was producing a dangerous trend. "We're letting collective bargaining agreements set the salaries for everyone."

Two bills to allow collective bargaining by public government and school employees were passed by the House in May. H.B. 2, sponsored by Rep. Hanahan would create a State Labor Relations Board and allow strikes by public employees, excluding firemen and police officers (see roll call, p. 27). A bill relating to the right of teachers and other educational workers to join unions also passed in the House. H.B. 19, sponsored by Reps. Richard Kelly (D., Hazel Crest), Joe Lucco (D., Edwardsville) and Thomas Hanahan, The bill would prohibit interference with the right of teachers to join a union, and would authorize binding arbitration./Mary C. Galligan

2 / July 1977 / Illinois Issues