South Central Reporter

State Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) rages that the $42 billion state budget rammed through by Illinois Democrats equates to nothing more than a wish list for Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“This budget gives the governor unprecedented power as the legislature is not really approving a budget but rather slapping something together and giving it to the governor administer,” Wilhour said soon after Democrats from both chambers easily passed the bill that now heads to the governor’s desk. “The Democrat leaders in the House and the Senate have sat on the sidelines during the pandemic crisis and this joke of a budget follows the same trend.”

The plan Pritzker is almost certain to sign into law heavily banks on federal revenue to plug holes made deeper by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the package also includes a provision that allows for the borrowing of up to $5 billion from the federal government, which legislators hope will eventually be repaid with still more funds allocated from Washington.

“This is what is known as Springfield math,” Wilhour said of the overall plan. “We are required by law to have a balanced budget, but only in Springfield can a budget with a $5.6 billion shortfall be considered ‘balanced.’”

Wilhour said the biggest affront of all may be the $1,800 raise lawmakers carved out for themselves as part of the spending plan.

“While 1 million workers in Illinois have filed for unemployment, the Democrat majority is voting pay raises for themselves,” he added. “The lack of spending reform is an affront to taxpayers in Illinois. Here in Illinois, there is a void of leadership. Our leaders are like spoiled children who keep going back to their parents to get more money to pay for their irresponsible choices.”

Wilhour laments the new plan fails to put into place a strategy for fully restarting the state economy as quickly as possible.

“One would think that with a $5 billion budget deficit, reopening businesses would be a high priority,” he said. “That would be logical. Instead, the priority is more spending, more borrowing and more payoffs for political insiders and election bills to help make it easier for Democrats to win elections.”