North Cook News

Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Westmont) took to Facebook to argue that the fiscal year 2023 budget fails to meet the state's long-term financial challenges.

"Governor JB Pritzker signed the FY 23 budget today. The budget includes a 10% increase in spending on state programs while state revenues are projected to decline by about 5%," Mazzochi posted on Facebook on April 19. "House Republicans opposed the budget because it fails to address our long-term financial challenges and will likely mean the legislature will again be faced with the choice of drastic spending cuts or raising taxes in future years."

The Illinois legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2023 budget early in the morning on April 9. The Senate passed the $46.5 billion budget by a vote of 34-19, and the House passed it by a vote of 72-42. The budget allocates $12 billion for education spending, $8.8 billion for Human Services, $2.2 billion for public safety, and $1 billion for the state's rainy day fund.

In 2019, Gov. Pritzker doubled Illinois' gas tax from 19 cents to 38 cents while also instituting an annual gas tax increase. A provision in the state budget will postpone this year's scheduled gas tax increase of 2.2 cents from July to January. The measure will require gas stations to put stickers on gas pumps notifying Illinoisans of the postponement. Gas stations will be fined $500 per day if they refuse to display the stickers. 

According to Fox 32, Josh Sharp of the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association called the mandatory stickers "free election-year advertising for the Governor."

The budget will suspend Illinois' 1% grocery tax for a year, and grocery stores will also be required to notify customers of the change, either through signage or by printing a message on shoppers' receipts, WMIX reported. State lawmakers also used the budget as an opportunity to give themselves more than $485,000 in pay raises. FY 23 begins July 1.

A recent WalletHub report found that Illinoisans shoulder the highest tax burden in the nation, Illinois Policy reported. On average, an Illinois household pays $9,488 in taxes each year - almost 39% more than the national average. Illinoisans pay the second-highest gas tax and second-highest effective property tax rate, but Illinois' public services do not reflect the high level of taxation. Illinois has the worst pension debt in the country.