By Gary Barlow

Staff writer

The Illinois House voted 105-4 last week to override most of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s amendatory vetoes of hundreds of millions in funding for health care, schools, public works and other programs.

House members voted to restore all but $39 million of the governor’s $460 million in vetoes, sending the override question to the Senate and Senate President Emil Jones, who initially said he wouldn’t allow senators a chance to vote to override the vetoes but showed signs last week of buckling under pressure from the public and other members of the Senate.

“Overriding the governor’s vetoes was a necessary move to return vital funding to programs that truly enrich our communities,” said Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago). “By restoring funding, I hope we also restore a lot of hope and opportunity to the neighborhood. These cuts will negatively impact real people with real needs. It is imperative that we provide these significant projects with the funding they so desperately require and deserve.”

Harris and other members of the House held a series of 19 public hearings around the state in recent weeks. At those hearings, officials with numerous non-profit agencies, school teachers and principals and others denounced the governor’s budget cuts.

In the vetoes, Chicago’s GLBT community health agency, Howard Brown Health Center, lost $100,000 slated to fund HIV prevention, including outreach to the GLBT youths it serves at Broadway Youth Center.

“The project that was vetoed by Gov. Blagojevich goes directly to the heart of HIV prevention in Chicago,” HBHC’s Beau Gratzer told legislators at the hearing.

Blagojevich also vetoed funds for HIV programs at Chicago House, Better Existence with HIV and Vital Bridges.

Altogether the governor cut more than $130 million for health care, $103 million for human services, $102 million for education and $31 million for public safety.

Almost all the funds Blagojevich cut involved grants sponsored by House Democrats, who the governor has feuded with all year. Although spokespeople for Blagojevich deny that politics played a role in determining what got cut, the governor left untouched most grants sponsored by Senate Democrats and House Republicans. The governor said he wants to use money from the budget cuts to fund an expansive new healthcare program legislators rejected earlier this year.

The Senate could take up the issue of overrides as early as this week if Jones has a change of heart and allows a vote.

“Things change,” Jones said Oct. 2. “I may change my mind.”

Harris and other House Democrats have urged voters to press their senators to get Jones to do just that. Some senators have said they’re hoping he does.

“If he goes on his own, he’d be imposing on his members versus working the will of the legal representatives of the state,” said Sen. Willie Delgado (D-Chicago). “I hope cooler heads prevail.”