GOV SAY SHE SEES THROUGH TRANSPARENCY BILL DESPITE UNANIMOUS HOUSE OVERRIDE

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday denounced a debt transparency bill that he vetoed as a form of “political manipulation” by his Democratic enemies — prompting surprise, anger and ridicule from Democrats and Republicans, who noted that the House vote to override the governor’s veto was unanimous and bipartisan.

The Debt Transparency Act would require state agencies to report monthly the amount of bills being held, liabilities that are being appropriated and liabilities that may have late interest penalties. State agencies currently submit their unpaid bills once a year in October.

On Friday, Rauner dismissed it as the political handiwork of House Speaker Mike Madigan and Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza.

“That bill was really primarily about enabling some more political manipulation by Speaker Madigan and Comptroller Mendoza on how they can prioritize bill payment,” Rauner said. “That’s really whatwas behind that bill.”

Many lawmakers saw those comments as a sourgrapes response to the override, which passed the House with a 112- 0 vote on Wednesday. The Senate is expected to weigh in next month.

Rauner’s comment was also considered strange for a governor continuing to try to gain back the support of Republican lawmakers after many criticized him for signing a bill to expand taxpayer funding of abortions.

The override was one of nearly a dozen the Illinois House delivered to the governor this week. He did score a major victory, however, when the House failed to override his veto of a bill thatwould have prohibited local municipalities from enacting “right- to- work” zones.

State Rep. Allen Skillicorn, R- East Dundee, said he was happy to co- sponsor the debt transparency legislation and asked Republican colleagues to unanimously support the override.

“It was the right thing to do. # thats leadership,” Skillicorn tweeted.

Others had stronger words for the governor’s backlash.

“This is another example of failed Governor Rauner’s alternate reality,” state Rep. David McSweeney, R- Barrington Hills, said. “The governor lost 112- 0 on the override— no Republicans voted against the override.”

McSweeney said the measure will allow lawmakers and the public to know just how much the state owes, including $ 2.8 billion in unappropriated bills, whichwas detailed in a bond offering submitted by the governor’s office and the state’s budget office.

“The real question is what did the governor know about the hidden bills and when did he know it?” McSweeney said.