Thursday, Jun 3, 2021 HOW THE GOP SAVED THE BUDGET Republicans say you can thank GOP state Sen. Jason Barickman for steering the Democrats’ $42.3 billion state budget to the governor’s desk. That unusual legislative twist came about after a 3 a.m. battle on the Senate floor that had Barickman, the Senate GOP’s floor leader, debating a surprise, out-of-the-blue amendment to a Democratic redistricting bill that shifted the circuit courts in St. Clair County and Lake County — the latter of which Minority Leader Dan McConchie represents. Sources said Republicans hadn’t received any notice about the late-night amendment and were angry they couldn’t get answers from Democrats.