With just four days left before the scheduled May 31 adjournment date, Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles) participated in a Capitol press conference today where he warned that Illinois families should brace for the same end-of-session script that has played out year after year, with record spending, last-minute tax hikes, and working families left holding the bill.
DeWitte, now in his eighth budget cycle, said the process is following a familiar pattern.
“We appreciate having a seat at the table, but experience has taught us that as the clock winds down, just like a round of musical chairs, those seats tend to disappear,” DeWitte said. “By the time the real budget shows up, it is usually the middle of the night on May 31, and lawmakers are being asked to vote on thousands of pages they have barely had time to open.”
When specifically asked what it would take for him to vote in favor of the budget, DeWitte said state government needs to start spending its money on things that are important to everyday families, and quit sweeping money away from budget areas that lead to property tax increases at the local level.
“I could support a budget that doesn’t cut funding from our local governments from the Local Government Distributive Fund, which reduces municipalities’ portion of sales tax and income tax revenues,” he said. “That number is being cut again this year, and what’s the end result of that lost revenue? They make it up through increased property taxes.”
DeWitte continued, “K-12 education is another area of concern because the Governor is cutting $47 million from the K-12 budget this year. How do our local schools make that up? They make it up by increasing property taxes.
“If we would start funding the important agencies that truly need state funding, areas where the people of Illinois feel are more important than where some of the budget money is going right now, I am all for it. And if we could see a budget that provides property tax relief, I could vote yes on that budget.”
After eight years under Governor Pritzker, Illinois families face one of the highest overall tax burdens in the country, and the state is tied for the worst unemployment rate in the Midwest.
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Watch the full press conference here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sLZ3kryoH8
Listen to Senator DeWitte’s comments about what it would take for him to vote in favor of a budget: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFD4okH5ZfU