SPRINGFIELD – Reacting to the first in-person State of the State and Budget Address delivered by Governor JB Pritzker to a joint Session of the Illinois legislature on Wednesday, 116th District State Representative Dave Severin (R-Benton) issued the following statement.
“The Governor today laid out a spending plan that I am concerned will put taxpayers on the hook for future tax increases. The promises of increased funding for programs sounds good, but we have to investigate each line item through the appropriations process to ensure that we are not setting ourselves up for future financial failure. We have seen record spending budgets clear the General Assembly for several years in a row now.
“The Federal COVID-19 cash that has propped up state government spending for years is now running out. Revenues are expected to trend downward due to the recession that is predicted to happen in the coming months. It’s time to get real about what our state government can and cannot afford. Today’s speech is just the first step in a long budget making process. We are talking about spending the people’s money, and that means the people deserve to know where every nickel is being spent. That means no more late-night budgets dropped on our desks with one hour to review them. I am calling for openness, transparency, and a renewed effort to exercise fiscal discipline to ensure the budget is balanced and our spending is sustainable without asking people and families for more of their hard-earned money.”
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