House Sends Budget to Pritzker, Republicans Claim "Tricks" and "Gimmicks"
House Speaker Chris Welch called the $50.6 billion dollar budget “fiscally responsible.”
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As expected, Democrats in the Illinois House advanced a Fiscal Year 2024 state budget to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk early Saturday morning.
The final budget was passed after 2:30 a.m. Saturday after mid-week wrangling delayed passage in the Senate that forced the House into overnight action Saturday.
Democratic budget negotiator Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria) called the $50.6 billion spending plan balanced “in every sense.”
“What you see in front of you is the result of compromise. It’s the result of working together. It’s the result of identifying a path forward to be able to invest in our communities, to invest in our districts,” Gordon-Booth said. “These investments, that we should be proud to make, back in our districts are investments that are going to be felt throughout all of our communities.”
House GOP budget negotiator Rep. Norine Hammond (R-Macomb) said Democrats used “tricks” and “gimmicks” to make the budget appear balanced.
“In our eyes, this isn’t a budget that provides for the future of Illinois, there are numerous gimmicks,” Hammond said. “This is not a balanced budget. The revenues that are needed for this budget [is] not my money, it is not your money, it is not Republican money, it is not Democratic money. This money belongs to the taxpayers of the state of Illinois and they deserve better.”
Hammond said she was never invited to meet with Gordon-Booth to participate in any budget discussions. Booth called that “revisionist history.”
Most House Republicans who criticized the budget claimed the roughly $100 million cushion built in between revenue and expenditures won’t be enough heading into a recession.
“We can’t afford to pay for everything that’s in this budget. We can’t,” said Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park). “We don’t have the revenue.”
Republicans claimed Democrats are “burying” the cost of a program providing health insurance for undocumented immigrants, expansions in Medicaid reimbursements, and not accounting for a new AFSCME contract.
But Gordon-Booth said the Democrats funded priorities.
“This balanced plan delivers critical funding that ensures every student has access to a quality education, helps more people access the health care they deserve and invests in career and technical training to prepare our young people for high-wage jobs across Illinois,” she said. “I am appreciative of the months of negotiation and hard work from both sides of the aisle to develop this responsible and compassionate plan, and look forward to the strong, positive impact it will have on uplifting families across our state.”
House Speaker Chris Welch credited Democrats with fiscal responsibility.
"For another year, Democrats have delivered a fiscally responsible, balanced budget that puts hardworking Illinoisans first,” Welch said. “With this budget we're building a stronger economy and putting our state back on sound fiscal footing, while also making smart investments in priorities like education, healthcare, and local communities.”
Governor JB Pritzker issued a statement praising passage.
“My thanks to Speaker Welch, Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, and all the members of the House who voted today to advance our fifth balanced budget,” Pritzker said. “This budget reaffirms our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility while making transformative investments in the children and families of Illinois that will be felt for years to come. I look forward to signing this budget making childcare and education more accessible, healthcare more affordable, and our state’s business and economic position even stronger.”
The final budget vote was along party lines, 73-38.