House Republicans share their reactions to the Governor's joint State-of-the-State and Budget Address where he outlined his spending plan for Fiscal Year 2024.
"I keep hearing the Governor talk about new ways to spend money, but I don’t hear a long-term plan to ease the burden on Illinois taxpayers. Temporary relief isn’t enough. Instead, he wants to press ahead with creating new programs that will lock taxpayers into billions more in long-term government spending commitments."
- Representative Tom Weber (Lake Villa)
"Some of the Governor’s proposals are
laudable initiatives, but we have to be cognizant of what the State can afford to continue to fund year after year. Once new programs or program expansions are built into the base, it will become difficult to meet that baseline spending in later years, when revenues are estimated to decline."
- Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond (Macomb)
"I am still waiting to see the plan for making up the billions in Federal bailout funds which were used to prop up our state budget (Federal dollars that also came from you and me). I certainly don’t believe that inflationary increases in sales taxes placed upon our residents or a new progressive tax scheme are the answers to our budgetary woes."
- Representative Martin McLaughlin (Barrington Hills)
"The biggest takeaway from the Governor today was his commitment to increased spending without a way to pay for it all. The result is that Illinois is on a collision course toward higher taxes, program cuts, or both."
- Representative Joe Sosnowski (Rockford)
"Illinois’ budgeting process over the past four years has been conducted behind closed doors and filled with broken promises. This year I want to see a process that is transparent. Now that a budget has been proposed by the Governor, I will work with my colleagues to advocate for a budget that is balanced without any tax increases.”
- Representative Amy Elik (Alton)
"The people I represent want to see Illinois pass a balanced budget without more taxes and spending. The budget presented by Governor Pritzker today will likely spend more than Illinois’ anticipated revenue and lead us down the path for another federal bailout that you and I as taxpayers are paying for."
- Assistant House Republican Leader Charlie Meier (Okawville)
