GOP Rep. Brown Hopes For Budget Compromise

It’s the final week of the fall veto session - and the last few days in office for State Representative Adam Brown of Champaign. The three-term House Republican, who did not run for re-election this year, says it’s a ‘shame’ that the state budget hasn’t gotten more attention since lawmakers returned to Springfield two weeks ago.

Brown says without some quick action, some that rely on state funding will be left with nothing when the stopgap budget runs out on December 31st.

“I just fear that we get back into the same budget crunch that we did last spring into the summer, and started into the fall before we even had any sort of compromise, " he said. "Push is coming to shove here pretty quickly, on not only higher ed funding, but social services funding.”

The GOP lawmaker says he's fully behind seeking compromise on a measure that would hike electric rates in order to save Exelon nuclear plants in Clinton and the Quad Cities, a measure that saw some last-minute changes last week after Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration weighed in on the bill.

"It's a form of energy creation that's not only clean and green, but also hugely efficient," he said.

Once his term is up, Brown says he’ll return to work on his family farm in Macon County.  His first year in office was 2011, serving the first of three terms out of that area before redistricting relocated Brown to Champaign.

Republican Brad Halbrook of Shelbyville, who won a 3-way primary, but was unopposed this fall, will be taking Brown’s seat in the 102nd Illinois House District next year.