GOP Critical of Transportation Funding Raid
Gov. JB Pritzker delivers his Budget Address on Feb. 19. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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One of the more overlooked budget moves in Governor JB Pritzker’s spending plan, introduced last week, is the raiding of over $170 million in tax funding that is supposed to be transferred to the state’s road fund for transportation projects.
Sen. Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles), the top Republican on the Senate Transportation Committee, called Pritzker’s move to hold back money from road projects is “double crossing” voters after the projects and funding where outlined when the legislature passed a major infrastructure bill six years ago.
“This does nothing but build distrust in our elected government, and government officials here in the state of Illinois by simply maneuvering this money back and forth, like it's “Monopoly” money,” DeWitte said. “These are hard earned tax dollars that people pay into this budget on an annual basis. And I think it's disingenuous as hell for this Governor and his administration to continue to run things [like this].
DeWitte says the move may not violate the letter of the state’s “Lockbox Amendment” to protect transportation funding, but says it absolutely violates the “spirit” of the law.
“The money to balance the budget needs to come from somewhere, and the road fund is fully funded,” one Democrat told The Illinoize Wednesday.
The Governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
