Illinois Valley Times

Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) spoke out against the recently passed state budget at a May 12 press conference in the capitol.

“The budget the Democrats passed this year sets Illinoisans up for a series of tax increases in future years, as a result of their inevitably increasing spending at a time when revenues are declining,” Demmer said. “We talked a lot about the last couple of years how unusual some of these state budgets have been, given the heavy reliance on federal COVID relief dollars. If we just look at normal state spending, normal state operations for education and public safety and health care, normal state spending is growing by over 10% in this year's budget.”

A release from the Office of the Governor said the upcoming budget will have $1.8 billion in tax relief for Illinois families. The release goes on to add the budget will provide "historic funding" for education, human services, law enforcement and violence prevention.

“This new law puts money back in the pockets of homeowners and families in the South Suburbs,” Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Matteson) said in the release. “We are slowly recovering from the most severe public health crisis that our state, country and the world (have) seen in the last century. It is crucial that we prioritize families by providing them with much needed and deserved relief to ensure Illinois’ economy keeps growing.”

Republicans have been more critical.

“Democrats passed a budget focused more on the upcoming election than the needs and responsibilities of the state,” Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville), assistant Republican leader, said, according to Fox Illinois. “They wrote a bill to delay their gas tax increase, conveniently until after the election. They included delayed tax increases on businesses and cuts in unemployment benefits, conveniently until after the election. These taxes will be increased; the Democrats just wanted to ensure that it didn’t happen before the election. This budget includes $1.6 billion in pork projects in Democrat-only legislative districts. These include all sorts of things like a ‘pilot program’ for a guaranteed minimum income for women in East St. Louis. This and all of the other projects amount to election-year bribes for their re-election, paid for by all Illinois taxpayers.”

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy also spoke on the budget saying, “Instead of permanent solutions for working families like real tax cuts and reduced spending, Democrats passed temporary election-year gimmicks, a massive increase in spending, and pay raises for politicians. In the face of record inflation and a crushing tax burden, Democrats gave taxpayers a handful of candy and told them to suck it up. They failed to provide real relief to taxpayers and all but guaranteed tax increases when the federal bailout money goes away.”