By Benjamin Yount

SPRINGFIELD  –  The push for a state budget is just another excuse for the two men running for Illinois governor to hammer at each other.

Both Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican candidate Bill Brady took a shot at the other on Friday, as lawmakers tried to come to an agreement on a state spending plan.

Brady attacked Quinn and the Democrats who control state government as too quick to spend and borrow, and unwilling to cut.

“Six billion dollars in unpaid bills.  Three-plus billion dollars in unpaid pension obligations last year.  And now you want to go deeper into the hole by $5 billion because of the lack of leadership and incompetence on the second floor.”

Brady, a state senator from Bloomington, is campaigning on a promise to cut 10 percent “across the board” in state government.  He chided Democrats for what he called political games.

“The people get it,” Brady said.”  The get the fact that they cannot ignore the shame that is going on in the Capitol.  They get the fact that we cannot leave our children without good schools, our state in a mountain of debt that our children have to pay back.”

Democratic lawmakers said it’s Brady who is playing the games.  They accused him of running for re-election rather than representing his voters.

Quinn promised that voters will see through Brady’s promises as well.

“I was very disappointed in Sen. Brady, running around trying to prevent a bi-partisan agreement on borrowing money to make sure we meet our pension obligations,” Quinn said. …”We don’t want anybody in Illinois government, including Sen. Brady, to just think you can foment chaos.”

The governor worked his own budget plan, which included an income tax increase, to no avail.  Quinn finally jumped on board the Democratic plan to borrow or delay payments for the five state-funded public employee pension systems and use some one-time revenues to pay the bills.

But  the Democratic majorities in both chambers in Springfield couldn’t push that plan through.  The Illinois Senate on Thursday approved parts of a budget, which the House did not consider on Friday. Both legislative chambers until — later.  No specific date was given.

Lawmakers have until midnight May 31 to pass a budget with only a simple majority — after that, most  legislation requires a three-fifths majority vote for passage, giving Republicans a say in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. Many in the statehouse expect lawmakers to return during the last week of May to try again for a budget.

The new fiscal year begins July 1.