SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Peoria-area Republican legislatures believe there’s not enough money to fund new proposed spending from Governor J.B. Pritzker.
In his State of the State and Budget address yesterday, Pritzker proposed new spending in early child-care, K-12 education, state college operations, and programs to protect workers and boost staffing at the Department of Children and Family Services. The total FY24 budget has around $49.6 billion in spending.
State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills) says he liked some of the proposals made by the Governor, such as funding for infrastructure and law enforcement.
But he adds the state is on a “fiscal cliff.”
“The COVID stimulus money from the federal government has now run out. And the tax revenue that’s been much higher because of inflation is now coming down. The Governor himself is projecting that our revenues next year are going to $1.4 billion lower than they are this year,” Stoller said.
Stoller was also concerned the lack of priorities in what is being funded. He believes there should have been a proposal to help out families with rising utility costs and slashing taxes.
Stoller is also concerned about a lack of funding to support people in Illinois with developmental disabilites, saying it’s been underfunded by about $500 million in the past three years.
“Before we go down a path and chase these shiny objects that look so attractive, let’s make sure we’re taking care of the fundamentals. Let’s make sure we’re taking care of the most vulnerable in our society,” Stoller said. “They can’t always speak up for themselves. So we can’t do it, how will they get the funding that’s necessary?”
State Representative Travis Weaver (R-Edwards) said it was good to hear that the state had paid down some of its bills and improved its credit rating, but adds that rating is still one of the worst in the country.
Weaver shared similar concerns about where the funding for new spending proposals was going to come from.
“Everybody knows that every dollar spent is, at some point, a dollar taxed. So when you hear him talk about more spending, you know there’s going to be more taxes that follow behind it,” Weaver said.
State Representative Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) says the Governor proposed some good ideas, but the legislature should be mindful of the spending proposals that come with it if the revenues are not there.
“Those two forces are not congruent with each other, and it’s going to be up to the Legislature to make some tough decisions,” Spain said.
The budget process will play out over the next few months. The new fiscal year begins on July 1st.
