Illinois lawmakers racing the clock to reach agreement on a state budget before a midnight deadline lost the race Friday night. Phil Rogers reports.
Illinois lawmakers voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of legislation to continue funding 911 emergency call centers.
The House voted 90-22 Saturday, while the Senate voted 43-1 to reverse the Republican governor and his objections to fee increases.
The telecommunications act allowing fees to be collected and distributed for 911 centers expired Friday.
The measure sponsored by Harrisburg Democratic Rep. Brandon Phelps increases the telephone surcharge for emergency services. It would go to $5 from $3.90 in Chicago and from 87 cents to $1.50 in the rest of the state.
Rauner called those hikes "unacceptable," issuing an amendatory veto of the bill on Friday.
In a statement issued after the veto was overridden, Rauner said lawmakers "failed taxpayers" with their vote.
"While the majority in the General Assembly has been unable to move forward with a balanced budget, it has found the time to inflict further abuse on Illinois taxpayers. Today the majority failed taxpayers by using the threat of canceling 911 services as leverage to force a tax hike on Illinois residents," Rauner said, calling the legislation "cynical."
"The majority in the General Assembly has chosen to hold innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage to pass an excessive, unwarranted tax hike," his statement continued.
