 Newly fiscally conservative Democrats in the Illinois House unveiled
numbers Thursday they say will limit state spending. Lawmakers said
they will base the next state budget on $33.2 billion in state
revenue.As state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion put it, that is all
the money the state will have next year. And that is all of the
money that the state should spend.
These figures "fairly reflect the revenues of the state of
Illinois as anticipated, based upon, not possibilities of law, but
existing law and existing revenue sources at this time," said
Bradley.
The phrase "at this time" is why the House price tag is lower
than projections from Quinn and the legislative Commission on
Government Forecasting and Accountability. COGFA's best-guess number
is a little more than $34.8 billion coming into the state for the
next fiscal year.
Quinn's budget office came up with a $33.9 billion number. The
differences stem from varied estimates as to how much Illinois will
get from the new personal and corporate income tax increase passed
in January. COGFA is guessing $2.1 billion. Quinn's budget office is
guessing $1.8 billion.
The governor's spending plan comes with a price tag of more than
$35 billion.
State Rep. Mark Beaubien, R-Wauconda, said the discussion on
spending will come next.
"This is the first time we're starting out with a logical
approach -- look at revenue first, then back into spending,"
Beaubien said. "For 14 years we've been spending and tried to back
into revenue."
The House now begins a series of hearings on how best to spend
the $33.2 billion. But lawmakers may not want to get too attached to
that number.
Senators, particularly the Democrats who control the upper
chamber, are calling the House price tag a starting point.
State Sen. Donne E. Trotter, D-Chicago, is quick to say both
chambers will have input on the budget, and both sides will have to
agree on a dollar figure.
"We have to take a look at and have (the House) explain to us
where they got that number," he said. "It may be a real number, we
don't know. But that is not the plan we're looking at."
Trotter doesn't have a number of his own, but he said senators
may know more next month when income taxes start coming into the
state.
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Republican senators are even less willing to believe the budget
will be no more than $33.2 billion. State Sen. Matt Murphy,
R-Palatine, said he has a hard time believing that Democrats will
leave close to a billion dollars on the table.
"They're going to have to walk the walk before people believe
that fiscal responsibility has arrived in Springfield," Murphy said.
Bradley insists the House is serious about holding the line on
spending. He does not, however, have an answer for whether he
expects the Senate to be as serious.
"We're one chamber, it's bicameral, so we'll see," he said.
"We're going to proceed in the House, and hopefully everyone will
have the same spirit of working together and compromise."
Quinn's budget office did not return calls and e-mails seeking
comment. Bradley said the budget-making process will begin soon.
Lawmakers are supposed to have a final spending plan by the end of
May.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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