Curran Concerned About Lame Duck Tax Hike for Transit
Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) speaks on the Senate floor.
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Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove) says he’s concerned Democrats may try to ram a tax increase through the General Assembly during the January lame duck session to prop up mass transit systems in the Chicago area.
On WMAY Tuesday, Curran said a looming $700 million funding cliff for the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), and Metra could lead to action by Democrats before the new legislature takes office in January.
“I think the RTA funding challenge that is present right now would be what possibly could involve a tax increase in lame duck,” Curran said. “My hope is we would find other ways to approach that persistent problem. In terms of the budget year next year, I have not heard of anything and I would be surprised that they would go it alone in lame duck that early before we get to the May budget.”
Multiple Democrats denied Tuesday there are any plans to raise taxes in the lame duck session.
After a report from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) predicted a potential $3 billion budget deficit for the next fiscal year, Curran said Democrats need to stop additional spending.
“How did we get here? The last budget passed before Governor Pritzker took office was $13 billion less [than this year],” Curran said. “More taxes, more spending is not the answer here. We need to start constraining and pulling back. It has been a spending spree. We need to grow our way out of this. So I'd like to see a more pro-growth approach from the governor and the Democratic supermajority.”
Curran says Democrats, including Governor JB Pritzker, need to start focusing on fixing the state issues instead of national issues, as Pritzker hints at a 2028 presidential campaign.
“It also feels like he's ignoring the 2.5 million Illinois citizens that voted for the Republican, for President Trump. The governor needs to remember, he's been elected to represent all Illinoisans,” Curran said. “Do the job you're elected to first. It is time for the governor to park the jet. Stay at home, concentrate on Illinois. Let someone else buy the carbon credits. Let's concentrate on the job at hand. We've got a lot of systemic problems here. We've got a lot of consent decrees. Let's talk about DCFS. Let's actually solve the problem there. There's a lot for the governor to focus on right here rather than the national stage.”
Curran and Senate Republicans spent about $450,000 earlier this fall to prop up Republican candidate Philip Nagel against Sen. Patrick Joyce (R-Essex), but pulled out of the race when poll numbers hadn’t shifted.
It left the Senate GOP stuck on 19 members without playing offense in any races down the stretch to the November election.
Curran blamed Democratic gerrymandering.
“It is the gerrymandered map that the Democrats have employed the last couple decades,” Curran said. “Obviously, we took our best shot. The candidate worked really hard. The field team was really pleased with them. We were happy to make the investment, but ultimately when we measured it, we just needed to adjust and we have to think long term.”
He says Republicans can remain relevant in the statehouse by staying involved in negotiating legislation and staying unified, especially if Democratic coalitions under the dome start to “fissure.”