North Cook News

State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro (R-Bloomingdale) said the process to vote on the largest budget in the history of the state was lacking.

"Yesterday, Governor Pritzker signed into law one of the largest spending plans in the history of Illinois,” Sanalitro said in a press release. “This is a spending plan created with no input from House Republicans. I voted no because it has major flaws including: pay raises for Springfield politicians, insufficient funds returned to local governments through the Local Government Distributive Fund and the Personal Property Replacement Tax, and the countless pork projects for areas represented by the majority party.”

Sanalitro also said that the way the budget was presented was the "most upsetting" part.

"We were given our first look at it late in the evening on a Thursday, and expected to read through the nearly 4000 pages in time to vote on it in the early morning hours on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend," she said. "I hope that one day in the future, our State and the politicians that run it will engage in a more transparent budgeting process that actually gives a voice to residents in every corner of our State.”

After Pritzker signed Illinois' $50.4 billion budget, uncertainties surrounding one expense have raised concerns about potential tax increases for residents. The state currently has a contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), which represents many Illinois state employees, and this contract is set to expire at the end of June. Lawmakers estimate that the new contract with AFSCME could cost an additional $200 to $300 million, but these expenses were not included in the state's budget. While Pritzker said that funding has been allocated for the AFSCME negotiation, the final cost remains unknown. 

State Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) said that if the AFSCME contract is not fully funded in the 2024 budget, Democrats might propose new taxes on residents. 

"I'm still afraid this budget will have holes when it gets later into the year, and then you will hear the talk right after the first of the year that we are going to have to put the progressive income tax back on the ballot," Meier said, The Center Square reported. 

He said the money will have to come from somewhere.

"We will see on a bill promoting the progressive income tax again in the future," Meier said. "It will be because they have reasons because they need the extra funds, whether that's from the AFSCME contract or more money for the illegal immigrants' Medicaid.” 

He suggested that potential funding shortfalls could lead to discussions about reintroducing the idea of a progressive income tax, which was rejected by voters in 2020. Meier said that various expenses not adequately covered in the budget could leave the state in need of additional funding. The 2024 budget is set to take effect on July 1.

In Crains, House GOP Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) criticized Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Westchester) for his handling of the state's new $50.4 billion fiscal 2024 budget. McCombie described the budget as unbalanced and suggested that it sets the stage for future tax increases. In an interview, she said that former Speaker Mike Madigan was more transparent in his interactions with the minority party than Welch has been.

Illinois state lawmakers approved the $50.4 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2024, despite lacking Republican support and with some Senate Democratic caucus members voting against it. Critics have said the budget doesn't adequately address the state's pension debt. Appropriations to the pension funds fall $4.1 billion below the recommended amount, exacerbating Illinois' growing pension debt, which now stands at $140 billion or potentially higher. Lawmakers also declined to extend the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program for low-income students but approved pay raises for themselves and allocated $50 million for a new legislative building.

The budget is seen as leaving little room for error as revenue projections have dropped, and there are concerns about its sustainability and balance.