Legislators will be back in Springfield for one day this week (Tuesday) to keep working on the state budget.  Senate is scheduled to hold a hearing on college affordability that day also as part of its summer overtime session.

 

With two weeks to go before the state enters a new fiscal year without a budget in place, the Senate hearing is expected to mirror one held last week on property taxes, in which witnesses testified before the entire Senate on the positive and negative effects of freezing property taxes.

 

The hearing is designed to highlight another difference between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats who control both chambers of the General Assembly.

 

Democrats who control the General Assembly are battling Rauner over his push to enact business-friendly reforms in exchange for a tax increase that would help close a $3 billion budget gap.

 

After failing to come to any agreement during meetings June 9, Rauner hit the road this week, traveling to Democratic legislative districts in an attempt to pressure rank-and-file members into supporting his agenda.