Pritzker's $49.6 billion spending request is an increase of
nearly $3 billion from last year's proposal. It includes a
nearly billion dollar boost for education. That includes
allotting $250 million toward early childhood education, with
increased pay for child care workers and added preschool slots.
“I’ve been very conservative about revenue estimates, and so
going into the next we are actually proposing less revenue and
lower spending that we have in [fiscal year 23],” Pritzker said
Thursday in East St. Louis.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said the numbers
don’t add up.
“Here we are at $2.7 billion in new spending and revenues down
$1.42 billion and those are his numbers that he provided,”
McCombie told The Center Square. “Where are we going to get this
additional funding? It certainly is not sustainable for new
programs.”
Chris Davis, Illinois director of the National Federation of
Independent Business, was pleased with the budget proposal.
“NFIB commends the Governor and General Assembly for balancing
the State budget, eliminating short-term debt, building a Rainy
Day Fund, and working with the business community to eliminate
the more than $4 billion debt in the Unemployment Insurance
Trust Fund," Davis said in a statement.
State Rep. Dennis Tipsword, R-Metamora, said much of the
governor’s budget plan for fiscal year 2024 will be a
"non-starter for him."
“In a nutshell, the governor is using temporary and on time
revenues to justify putting new, ongoing spending programs in
place,” Tipsword said in a statement. "When the temporary
revenue sources dry up, taxpayers will again be left footing the
bill.”
The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is forecasting
what it calls a mild recession, possibly this fall. It also is
projecting a drop-off in revenue for Illinois.
“If they are going to continue these programs year after year,
there is only one way to pay for things and that's to raise the
dollar amount and you can only do that through taxing,” McCombie
said.
The budget will be debated in the coming weeks during the 103rd
General Assembly. The spring session of the General Assembly is
scheduled to adjourn May 19. The new budget year begins July 1.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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