Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) wants to give cities, towns and counties the authority to file for bankruptcy protection, a move that could give local governments a stronger foothold when negotiating with local police and fire officials over costly pension obligations, the Chicago Tribune reported today. The governor made no mention of the idea during his State of the State speech yesterday, instead burying the concept in a list of talking points the administration distributed to lawmakers. But the single sentence calling for the state to "extend to municipalities bankruptcy protections to help turn around struggling communities" mirrors a proposed law introduced last month by state Rep. Ron Sandack (R). Sandack said that his aim was to give cities more tools for getting their financial affairs in order, including a "level field" when negotiating over pensions.
