The chances of Illinois state leaders approving a budget get better starting in January. That’s because of a quirk in state law.
The legislature is supposed to meet off-and-on from January to May.
And in that time - a bill needs at least 50 percent plus one to pass.
But in the last seven months of a year - a quirky state law requires the threshold to go up to 60 percent.
Charlie Wheeler is a long-time state government observer with the University of Illinois in Springfield.
"It was designed to try and get most of the work done in the first part of the year," Wheeler said.
The thinking was lawmakers would be motivated to pass legislation in the first half of the year because it’d be more difficult later.
But in 2015 that law didn’t help. Leaders never agreed on a state budget.
Governor Bruce Rauner has said January’s lower-vote threshold could help with a compromise. But there’s no guarantee.
