SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s proposed budget from his Budget Address Wednesday.
“Governor Pritzker spent much of his address blaming President Trump and the federal government, yet he once again proposed the largest budget in state history, fueled by nearly a billion dollars in new taxes and gimmicks. That is not responsible leadership. State spending has increased nearly 40 percent since he took office. Has the income of Illinois families increased by 40 percent? Of course not. What families are seeing instead are higher energy bills, some of the highest property taxes in the country, and an economy that continues to lag behind the nation. One thing I did not hear in the Governor’s Address was how he plans to properly fund and address the ongoing issues within the Department of Corrections. Just this week, a fifth-generation correctional staff member, who happens to be my own relative, was sent to the ICU after being exposed to an unknown substance while on the job. Our correctional officers are working in increasingly dangerous conditions, and they deserve more than silence. Illinois continues to lose residents to other states. Families are leaving because they are tired of paying more while getting less. This state needs fiscal discipline, economic growth, public safety leadership, and accountability, not another record-breaking spending plan built on higher costs and excuses.”
