While state budget dilemmas are daunting, area legislators are optimistic that upcoming budget talks will be more inclusive than the notorious stalemate negotiations for which former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was known.

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn already showed signs of reaching out Wednesday when he hosted a discussion with Senate Republicans, including Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry.

She said topics ranged from Quinn’s skepticism of the use of a gas tax to balance the predicted $9 billion budget hole to re-opening state parks.

“I’m not expecting stalemates [this year],” Althoff said. “What I’m expecting is a bunch of people sitting around a table and really making hard decisions.”

“Are we going to agree on everything? No. … but we’ll be part of the process where we weren’t before,” Althoff said.

The talks are a lead up to the Quinn’s budget address March 18.

Rep. Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said he was optimistic that Quinn would be easier to work with than Blagojevich, but wouldn’t know where he stood on the budget until after the address.

“If it’s riddled with tax increases, it’s not going to get much support from suburban legislators like myself,” Tryon said. “I will tell you [Quinn’s] a breath of fresh air.”

Even Rep. Jack Franks, a member of Blagojevich’s party, said he was excited about being more involved in budget talks this year now that Quinn was in charge.

“[Quinn’s] much more engaged,” said Franks, of Marengo. “He’s worked with the rank and file legislators as well as the leaders.”

All three lawmakers agreed that budget negotiations wouldn’t be easy, but that tax increases, including a proposed gas tax, are not the answer to state’s financial problems.

“The first order of business would be to evaluate where we can make cuts, prior to going back to the constituents and asking them to pay higher taxes,” Althoff said.

Tryon said he favored reorganization of state departments as a means to trim costs.

“I don’t see how you raise taxes in an economic climate where businesses are beginning to fail, [and] people are losing their jobs” he said.

Franks said he would like to see the budget process just start from scratch.

“Instead of adding on to last year’s budget, I would go to a zero-based budget and then have each agency have to defend their own line items,” he said. “Only then … will we ever get the budget beast under control.”

Aside from the governor’s negotiations, lawmakers will be able to look to a newly formed Senate Committee on Deficit Reduction as a means to find solutions.

The committee, formed Wednesday, is supposed to consider spending cuts, tax increases or anything else that might close a budget hole estimated at more than $9 billion.

It will have an equal number of Democratic and Republican members and will ask constitutional officers, the governor’s office and other agencies to weigh in on what the state should cut and what it shouldn’t.

The committee will make its recommendations a week after Quinn proposes his budget plan March 18.
• The Associated Press contributed to this report.

By CRYSTAL LINDELL – clindell@nwherald.com with wire reports