IN THE FINAL DAYS OF THE SPRING LEGISLATIVE SESSION, UNABLE TO MEET THEIR SELF-IMPOSED.

A GERMAN DEADLINE.

HOUSE LAWMAKERS RETURN TO SPRINGFIELD TODAY TO VOTE ON THE 53 BILLION DOLLARS STATE BUDGET THAT THE SENATE PASSED ON SUNDAY BESIDES DEBATING THE BUDGET.

LAWMAKERS PASSED HUNDREDS OF BILLS DURING THE SESSION HERE WITH ALL THAT AND MORE IS OUR SPOTLIGHT.

POLITICS TEEN AMANDA AND SPECIAL GUESTS SITTING IN WITH THE BAND GOVERNMENT FINANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTER WITH THE ILLINOIS ANSWERS PROJECT OF THE BETTER GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION.

WELCOME, ALEX.

GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

SO BEFORE WE GET TO SPRINGFIELD, WE HAD SOME NATIONAL NEWS TODAY THAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO NOMINATE BIDEN VIRTUALLY AHEAD OF THE CONVENTION IN ORDER TO MEET OHIO'S AUGUST 7TH BALLOT DEADLINE.

STAY WITH ME, FOLKS.

>> IT IN AT ISSUE HERE IS, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, OHIO LEGISLATORS WERE ABLE TO TEMPORARY SALT TEMPORARILY SOLVED THIS BALLOT ISSUE.

BUT OHIO REPUBLICANS SEEM UNWILLING TO DO IT THIS YEAR.

SO DEMOCRATS ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH A VIRTUAL NOMINATION.

ALEX.

AMANDA, DOES THIS TAKE SOME OF THE EXCITEMENT OUT OF AUGUST?

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION IN CHICAGO?

I'M SURE THAT THEY WILL FIND SOME WAY TO MAKE AN EXCITING EVEN IF IT IS JUST SOME KIND OF SHOWY DISPLAY OF, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL SORT OF LIKE POMP AND CEREMONY ANYWAY, OF LIKE MAINE WITH ITS HOWEVER, MANY DELEGATES.

>> YOU KNOW THAT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THEY'VE GOT RIGHT.

AND WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS, THOUGH, IS THAT AS YOU WERE DESCRIBING AND REPUBLICANS IN OHIO STATE LEGISLATION WITH THE ONES WHO ARE JUST READING THIS, TRYING TO KEEP PRESIDENT BIDEN OFF THE BALLOT.

BUT THE REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR, MIKE DEWINE WAS SAYING, NO, WE HAVE REVERSE THIS AND ACTUALLY STEP BACK.

SO, YEAH, IT'S STRANGE SITUATION.

BUT I THIS IS A VERY ILLINOIS SORT OF GAME TO PLAY, BY THE WAY.

I MEAN, ILLINOIS WERE >> THE ROLE OF ILLINOIS OHIO, IF IT EVEN COVER CONVENTIONS, I WILL SAY SORT OF THAT WHAT EVERYTHING BUILD UP TO BUT THE COMBINATION, THE FUN SO LEX YES, THEY'RE GOING TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO FILL THE TIME.

BUT THE OFFICIAL PART THAT LIKE EVERYBODY'S HERE FOR WILL HAS BEEN OVER AND DONE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WAS DONE VIRTUALLY DEMOCRATS PRETTY WELL.

AND INTERESTINGLY ACTUALLY, AND SO FOLKS MIGHT ENJOY IT BETTER.

PERHAPS THIS DIGITAL THING WHERE YOU CAN GET.

FOLKS VOICES AND IT'S REALLY CARE RATED AS OPPOSED TO PEOPLE ON THE CONVENTION FLOOR, THE THAN THE ENTIRE STILL GOING WAS.

>> WAS OVER.

ZOOM LINE IN TWENTY-TWENTY, RIGHT?

SO THIS IS JUST THAT WE ALL YEAH.

SO OK, SO TAKE THE CONVERSATION SPRINGFIELD.

LAWMAKERS ARE NEARING THE FINISH STATE HARD AT WORK OVER THE WEEKEND.

ONE OF GET ACCOMPLISHED.

SO IT PASSED THE BUDGET, AS YOU NOTED EARLIER, THEY HAD THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE ON FRIDAY.

INSTEAD TALKS TALKS, HAWK'S HAWK SOCKS NEGOTIATIONS JUST BECAUSE DEMOCRATS ARE IN CHARGE.

DOES THAT MEAN THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR DIFFERENCES?

>> THIS IS STILL A BUDGET.

DEMOCRATS ARE GOING IT ALONE WITHOUT ANY GOP VOTES, IT JUST TOOK THEM MORE TIME.

SO YOU HAVE THE SENATE OVER THE WEEKEND.

AS YOU NOTED, THEY DID PASS A BUDGET AND SORT OF ALL THE COMPANIES BILLS THEIR HOME.

THE HOUSE REALLY JUST GETTING STARTED NOW.

SO NOW IT'S THEIR OKAY.

ALEX.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE SOME OF THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU AND OBVIOUSLY FOR TAXPAYING VIEWERS AT HOME IN THE CITY, 3 BILLION DOLLAR WELL, I THINK THE BIG REVENUE ITEM AT THE CENTERPIECE OF THAT THERE WAS THE MOST DRAMA AROUND WAS GOVERNOR PRITZKER'S PROPOSAL TO >> RAISE TAXES ON SPORTS THAT WAS A BIG STICKING POINT THAT THE SPORTS BETTING JUST SORT OF SPORTS BOOKS THAT HAD LOBBYING OUT IN FULL FORCE TRYING TO STOP IT.

>> AND IT REALLY WAS THE CENTERPIECE OF A LOT OF THAT INITIATIVES IN SPENDING AND PROGRAMS THAT DEMOCRATS AND THE GOVERNOR PARTICULAR THE PASS.

AND THAT IS THROUGH.

THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT WERE ON THE TOP THE AGENDA AS PART OF HIS ADDRESS TO SEE MOST NOTABLY VA HEALTHCARE PROTECTION ACTIVE THINK WAS EFFECTUATE A BUNCH OF HEALTH INSURANCE REFORMS BANNING PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND HOME CAPPING THE PRICE OF INHALERS.

A $25 MORE FUNDING FOR MATERNAL HEALTH REQUIRING THAT INSURERS COVER THINGS LIKE DO WASN'T HOME BIRTHS AND MIDWIVES.

AND SO THOSE ARE JUST 2 THAT STAND OUT.

BUT A WHOLE LOT GOT DONE AT LEAST BY THE SENATE.

NOW IT'S THE HOUSE'S TURN.

>> YEAH, I MEAN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET, WHAT I THINK IS THE BIG TAKEAWAY FOR ME IS THAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING A LOT THAT'S GOING TO DIRECTLY OR MOST OBVIOUSLY HIT VOTERS IN THEIR POCKETBOOKS.

BUT THE BIG CRITICISM BY REPUBLICANS IS THAT IT WILL IN SORT SIR IAN, SORT OF ROUNDABOUT WAYS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, FOLKS, WHO DO TAKE PART IN SPORTS BETTING WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET AS MUCH ON THEIR WIND THAT THE ODDS ARE GOING TO BE OFF WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS SUCH AS THIS RETAILERS THIS KIND OF COMPLICATED.

>> REALLY PLAN.

IS IT EFFECTING SING LIKE WALMART?

WHO CARES?

>> BUT YOU MIGHT.

WHEN IT GETS BAKED INTO THE PRICE OF YOUR FINAL GOOD.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE RUNS THAT REPUBLICANS HAVE.

I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY INTENTIONAL.

THIS IS A BUDGET THAT DOES INCREASE IN SPENDING.

YOU'RE NOT SEEING BIG CUTS TO PROGRAMS YEAR AS YOU MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE WITHOUT THIS INCREASE ITS PHILLY LIKE A BILLION DOLLARS, MORE OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE IN SORT OF YOU HAD ONE OF THE SENATORS DURING THE DEBATE SAY, OH, THAT'S PRETTY.

LET'S CALL IT REVENUE AKA MEANS LIKE SOMEBODY IS PAYING MORE SOMEBODY'S TAKEN WELL, AS YOU KNOW, LET'S GET TO THAT, ALEX.

THERE WERE SOME REVENUE RAISING TAX INCREASES WHO GOT HIT THE HARDEST.

>> WELL, I MEAN, IT WAS SPORTSBOOKS ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING, I THOUGHT WAS ACTUALLY A TAX THAT GOT TAKEN AWAY AS PART OF THIS, WHICH WAS THE ONE PERCENT TAX ON GROCERIES THAT THE STATE HAD BEEN IMPOSING.

MUNICIPALITIES WERE COLLECTING MUNICIPALITIES OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T LIKE IT IS GETTING TAKEN AWAY.

BUT IT WAS, I THINK, KIND OF POLITICAL WINNER FOR THE GOVERNOR WITHOUT RELIEVED OF STATE LOSING ANYTHING JUST TO SAY.

TO ALL OF THE TOWN'S TO ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES, IF YOU WANT THAT MONEY SO BADLY, YOU NEED TO TAXES, GROCERIES.

AND SO THAT'S ONE WAY THAT SHOPPERS AND CONSUMERS THAT THEY MIGHT BE FEELING IT IN A GOOD WAY IN THEIR POCKETBOOKS.

BUT IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THOSE TOWNS AND COUNTIES AND CITIES HAVE TO BRIEFLY, WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MAIN CRITICISMS OF THIS BUDGET?

SO IS IT NOTED THE BIG CRITICISMS, I THINK, ARE JUST THAT IT CONTINUES TO SPEND INCREASED LEVELS.

>> BUT WHAT MAIN TAKEAWAYS ARE A REPUBLICAN SAID THIS SEEMS TO BE A BUDGET THAT PUTS PRITZKER ON THE PAST TO THE PRESIDENCY THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS IS KERRY DID IN BUILT AROUND THAT THEIR OTHER MAIN CRITICISM IS THAT THEY SAY IT SPENDS TOO MUCH AND BASICALLY A BILLION DOLLARS ALL TOLD ON NON CITIZENS.

SO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING, MIGRANTS ARE OTHERS WHO MAY NOT BE IN THE COUNTRY LEGALLY INSTEAD OF ILLINOIS RESIDENTS.

THOSE WITH THE CRITICISMS YOU HEARD OVER AND OVER FROM THE WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS LEGISLATURE ALSO TO CHOSE NOT TO TAKE ANY ACTION ON THE STADIUM FUNDING REQUEST.

ALEX DI THINK THEY'LL TAKING THIS UP IN THE FALL.

>> IN THE FALL, I GUESS I WOULDN'T BET IT.

HAVE SPEAKING ABOUT I MEAN, THE WHOLE THE WHOLE STORY OF THIS WAS THAT THAT MAYOR'S PRESIDENT, KEVIN WARREN AND INTERESTING, MAYOR OF CHICAGO, BRANDON JOHNSON, CAME OUT FAVOR OF THIS.

PROPOSAL THAT WOULD HAVE BASICALLY HAS THE STATE TO BORROW A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY FOR THE BEAR BACKED BY SOME MAYOR WAS ALL FOR IT.

THE GOVERNOR CLEARLY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING SAID THIS IS ABSOLUTELY DEAD ON ARRIVAL.

WE'RE NOT GOING FOR IT WAS NEARLY TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

VERY QUICKLY.

HOW SOON CAN WE HAVE A BUDGET OUT OF THE HOUSE?

SO IT'S GOING TO BE AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

THAT WILL BE THE EARLIEST.

THEY CAN DO IT.

SO EXPECTED INTO THE WEE HOURS.

OKAY, EVERYBODY, THANK YOU THAT SPOTLIGHT NOW IT'S