McHenry County’s representatives in the Illinois House did not have high praise for Thursday’s attempt at moving pension reform forward.

Republicans joined their GOP colleagues in not voting for House Speaker Michael Madigan’s soundly defeated proposals, calling the exercise political gamesmanship.

Joining them on the sidelines of abstention was Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks, who now is pushing for Madigan to call a Committee of the Whole and suspend all other House business until a realistic solution is found to address the state’s $96 billion unfunded pension liability.