Bailey: Pritzker budget plan a 'bridge to higher taxes'

[February 21, 2023]  By Glenn Minnis| The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey says he’s seeing his worst nightmare come true in the form of Gov. J.B Pritzker’s proposed $49.6 billion state budget.

“When I was a candidate, I warned people this would happen and talked about us having to live within our means or face destroying the state,” Bailey, who lost to Pritzker as the GOP nominee for governor in November, told The Center Square after Pritzker laid out his spending plan last week.

“What the governor is pushing is a bridge to higher taxes for everyone in this state,” he added. “He’s using COVID and federal money to advance his own agenda. There will come a day when these bills are due and the only way to pay will be to raise taxes on everyone or drastically cut services.”

At a time when many fear a recession could be just around the corner, Pritzker's $49.6 billion spending plan is an increase of nearly $3 billion over what he asked for as part of last year’s proposal. The plan includes adding billions in spending on new programs like universal pre-K and setting aside billions more for emergencies.

While some have commended the governor for seeking to steer more resources toward early education, Bailey blasts the move as just more of the same kind of waste.

Side by side: State Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker
BlueRoomStream, Greg Bishop / The Center Square

“Illinois already spends nearly as much as any other state on students, and still finds a way to fail them,” he said. “It’s really an embarrassment. The reality is J.B. Pritzker is a spoiled brat whose answer to everything is to throw more money at it. He doesn’t understand you have to work to come up with solutions. The only good news in all this is it’s still just a proposal, and we still have time to stop him.”

With the plan up for debate over the next several weeks during the 103rd General Assembly, Bailey is urging taxpayers to reach out to their representatives to let them know how much they oppose the plan. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn May 19, with the new budget year commencing on July 1.

“We’ve got until May to take a stand against the Governor’s arrogance and I’m not sure this spending plan won’t grow even more by then as more of his cronies push behind the scenes for their own pet projects,” he added.

In delivering his State of State address in Springfield, Pritzker sought to sell his budget plan as one that moves the state closer to solid footing.

“I’ve been very conservative about revenue estimates, and so going into the next year we are actually proposing less revenue and lower spending that we have in [fiscal year 23],” Pritzker said last week.