SPRINGFIELD – More than 1,000 state workers, human services providers and union officials rallied at the Capitol on Wednesday, urging Senate President Emil Jones to allow a vote to override the governor's budget vetoes.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich cut $463 million out of the $59 billion budget lawmakers sent him, saying the money would be better spent on health care programs for uninsured and underinsured Illinoisans.

The House voted overwhelmingly to restore all but $39 million of those cuts, but the override still needs approval from the Senate. Jones has said for weeks that he would not allow his chamber to vote on such a motion, but on Wednesday he told reporters to "keep hope alive."

Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, predicted that the motion would pass overwhelmingly if the vote was allowed.

"We know if they vote, we will restore these cuts," he said.

State Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, was one of about a dozen Senate Democrats who appeared onstage at the event. He called the rally "impressive."

"I think they make a strong case for override of the governor's budgetary vetoes, and I'm very hopeful that in the next week, parties can come together and reach some sort of agreement so we can cast that vote," Frerichs said. "There are a lot of important state agencies and state services that have been cut by the governor's vetoes. I think we worked a long time this summer in putting together a good budget and the governor comes in at the last minute and changes it. I think we ought to stick to our original agreement."

Several Senate Republicans are also pushing for a vote.

"The House has voted to override the governor's vetoes, and the Senate should do the same," said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon. "But at the very least, legislators like Senator Frerichs and myself should be allowed to vote on these overrides. If that vote is blocked, the Senate President and the Senate Democrat Caucus will have turned their backs on these communities and their collective needs."

In a written statement, Blagojevich spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch defended the governor's vetoes.

"It's disappointing that after underfunding health care in their budget, now House members voted to take health care away from chronically-ill children and life-saving cancer screenings and treatment from uninsured women," she said. "Again, as we've said before, we're happy to work with them to fund some of their projects and programs – but not at the expense of health care."

In other legislative action on Wednesday, the Illinois Senate voted 42 to 9 to override the governor's veto of a bill requiring a moment of silence at the start of each school day. Current law allows for a moment of silence, but it is optional.

"I believe this is the right balance between the principles echoed in our constitution, and our deeply held desire to practice our faith," Blagojevich wrote in his veto message. "As a parent, I am working with my wife to raise our children to respect prayer and to pray because they want to pray – not because they are required to."

But the bill's sponsor, state Sen. Kim Lightford, D-Maywood, said the bill did not require any prayer, just that a moment of silence be observed.

"I believe that in these critical times it is important for the teacher to gather those students to focus on the day's activities, whatever that child deems necessary to think about or reflect on, I think it's very important that we do it and we do it in unity," she said. "If one classroom is doing it and the other class isn't and these are the same children that are rotating classes, then they are not all getting the impact."

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, was one of nine no votes. He said the decision is best left up to individual schools and teachers. The override motion on SB 1463 now heads to the House for consideration.