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Rauner Admits Shaking Things Up Is Harder Than He Thought

Steven Vance
/
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Governor Bruce Rauner was elected on the promise he would "shake up" state politics. Thursday, he admitted he's struggling to make good on that pledge.

Rauner, a Republican who has never before held public office, told the nonpartisan Taxpayers Federation that Illinois began going "down the drain" a long time ago.

He says the state's problems were created by politicians who took the easy way out.

"Forcing a change in the system? I knew it was going to be hard. It's harder than I thought. And it takes longer."

Illinois is in the midst of a historic political stalemate.  The state is in its tenth month without a budget, as Rauner presses his agenda, and Democrats refuse to go along with it.

The governor is campaigning for term limits, a clamp-down on collective bargaining, and a workers' compensation system that's friendlier to businesses.   Democrats say those will hurt, rather than help the economy.

Amanda Vinicky moved to Chicago Tonight on WTTW-TV PBS in 2017.
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