While State Rep. Mike Unes said he was encouraged that legislative leaders are speaking to each other, he offered no predictions about when the state will have a budget because elected state officials don’t trust each other.
Unes made his remarks at the REALTORS® Political Involvement Committee session of the Illinois REALTORS® Public Policy Meetings Tuesday in East Peoria. “We have a lot of issues in Springfield, but possibly the biggest problem we have in the state of Illinois is the immense lack of trust,” said Unes, who represents voters in the 91st House District in East Peoria.
Unes says even if a bill is approved by the Senate, it cannot be considered by the House yet because Speaker of the House Mike Madigan hasn’t released the number of people who will be on new committees, stalling the formation of more than 50 committees for the 100th General Assembly.
By contrast, Unes says he’s proud of the relationship he has with Illinois REALTORS® because of the honesty, integrity, sincerity, passion and tact that members of the governmental affairs team has showed during his time in office. “Our state would be in much better shape if we had more people in Springfield like yours,” he said.
Unes says the constituents in his district are suffering the effects of the budget impasse, especially the most vulnerable. While some budget matters may seem relatively benign to legislators, the vulernable are affected in his district. He knows that REALTORS and their clients are also feeling the effects of the state’s budget problems, and he hopes that the discussions that have occurred in the Senate are contagious and will lead to an eventual solution.
Unes is beginning his fourth term for the 91st district, representing parts of Tazewell, Fulton and Peoria counties. He is a Republican.