Lawmakers will be back in Springfield on June 19th after Governor Pat Quinn announced a special session of the state legislature.
Brooke Anderson, Quinn's spokesperson, says calling lawmakers back was a plan the governor favored all along... after they didn't reach a pension deal before adjourning for the summer. The decision follows two downgrades of Illinois' credit rating this week… both tied to lawmakers failing to come to an agreement.
"They need to put a bill on the governor's desk and they can't put a bill on his desk unless they're in Springfield, so that's where they'll be," said Anderson.
House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton, both Democrats like Quinn, introduced their own pension plans, but neither received support from the other. Anderson says the the governor hopes the June 19th date will serve as a deadline of sorts, with the next two weeks giving them time to find a compromise.
Democratic Senator Daniel Biss of Evanston, who's been a "go-to" for lawmakers on pensions, also believes an agreement should be in place in advance of coming back to the statehouse.
"If we show up for a one-day session with no plan and no legislation ready to go, we will fail," said Biss.
Governor Quinn also called a special session last summer, which failed to result in a pension agreement.
Illinois Public Radio's Chris Slaby contributed to this report.