Lawmakers adjourn for week without deal despite governor's wishes
Blagojevich's wishes aside, lawmakers in Springfield have adjourned without a budget agreement.
/ Courtesy of AP GraphicsBank
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (AP) -- Illinois lawmakers left the state Capitol today despite the governor's call for them to spend at least five days a week working on a new budget.
The House adjourned until Tuesday. The Senate went home for a full week -- until next Thursday.
The Senate's adjournment came as a surprise. President Emil Jones had recently said the Senate would be in session every day.
Governor Rod Blagojevich wants lawmakers to stay in Springfield. He has been criticizing the House for planning to meet only three days a week.
But there's little for rank-and-file lawmakers to do until the governor and top legislators negotiate a budget agreement.
Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson says it's a waste of time for rank-and-file lawmakers to spend every day in Springfield when they have work to do in their districts.
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