Lawmakers from around the state respond:
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (Savanna)
“Today Governor JB Pritzker signed one of the largest spending plans in our state’s history. An unbalanced budget that shortchanges many, but particularly our hospitals and direct support persons (DSP workers) who serve our most vulnerable citizens. Another budget filled with broken promises, accounting gimmicks, and a lack of structural reforms to address the systemic outmigration of Illinois families. House Republicans voted no in order to stand up for the residents of the 102 counties we represent. This budget puts the state’s fiscal outcome at risk and all but guarantees future tax hikes.”
State Representative Dan Ugaste (St. Charles)
“Delivered in the middle of the night and filled with gimmicks instead of structural changes to improve our state’s finances, the Democrats’ budget prioritizes new spending over existing commitments. We are seeing local government funding sleight-of-hand that shorts these governments and the state playing shell games with the General Revenue Fund and COVID costs to hide the actual spending. While our constituents continue to battle inflation, Democrats gave themselves an unconstitutional pay raise late on a Friday night. Illinoisans deserve better than smoke and mirrors and this disgraceful budgetary circus. We need a transparent, accountable budgeting process.”
State Representative Paul Jacobs (Pomona)
"Democrats say the budget is balanced, but they got there by allowing for increased taxes on gas, groceries, and medicine. Illinoisans will also pay higher fees to access state services because of how this budget is drafted."
Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (Macomb)
“Despite their statements to the contrary, the Democrats’ budget is not balanced. It relies on a series of fiscal fabrications and schemes, such as only funding half-a-year’s-worth of Medicaid costs and shifting $700 million from local government funds into the State’s General Revenue Fund."
Assistant House Republican Leader John Cabello (Machesney Park)
"...With the stroke of a pen, he and Illinois House Democrats have massively raised taxes, embraced wasteful spending, and granted inappropriate pay raises for Springfield Politicians."
“Today Governor JB Pritzker signed one of the largest spending plans in our state’s history. An unbalanced budget that shortchanges many, but particularly our hospitals and direct support persons (DSP workers) who serve our most vulnerable citizens. Another budget filled with broken promises, accounting gimmicks, and a lack of structural reforms to address the systemic outmigration of Illinois families. House Republicans voted no in order to stand up for the residents of the 102 counties we represent. This budget puts the state’s fiscal outcome at risk and all but guarantees future tax hikes.”
State Representative Dan Ugaste (St. Charles)
“Delivered in the middle of the night and filled with gimmicks instead of structural changes to improve our state’s finances, the Democrats’ budget prioritizes new spending over existing commitments. We are seeing local government funding sleight-of-hand that shorts these governments and the state playing shell games with the General Revenue Fund and COVID costs to hide the actual spending. While our constituents continue to battle inflation, Democrats gave themselves an unconstitutional pay raise late on a Friday night. Illinoisans deserve better than smoke and mirrors and this disgraceful budgetary circus. We need a transparent, accountable budgeting process.”
State Representative Paul Jacobs (Pomona)
"Democrats say the budget is balanced, but they got there by allowing for increased taxes on gas, groceries, and medicine. Illinoisans will also pay higher fees to access state services because of how this budget is drafted."
Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (Macomb)
“Despite their statements to the contrary, the Democrats’ budget is not balanced. It relies on a series of fiscal fabrications and schemes, such as only funding half-a-year’s-worth of Medicaid costs and shifting $700 million from local government funds into the State’s General Revenue Fund."
Assistant House Republican Leader John Cabello (Machesney Park)
"...With the stroke of a pen, he and Illinois House Democrats have massively raised taxes, embraced wasteful spending, and granted inappropriate pay raises for Springfield Politicians."