Republicans Say State Has Plenty of Money to Prevent Cuts, Pass Balanced Budget
Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) the top Senate Republican negotiator on the state budget, says Democrats have plenty of money to fund state government next year without cutting GOP supported programs, like a pilot program for school vouchers.
With less than five full days remaining in the legislative session, Senate Republicans are frustrated Democrats haven’t released spending priorities and argue Governor JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders should take cuts to GOP-supported tax programs off the table.
“Any tax increase as part of this year’s budget must be off the table,” said Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy). “The money is there to pay off federal borrowing, plug the budget, make the statutorily required contribution to fund K-12 education, plus make our pension payment obligation and still achieve a balanced budget.”
House Majority Leader Greg Harris (D-Chicago) has repeatedly said the state legislature is attempting to fill a $1.3 billion hole in the upcoming budget.
“There are plenty of funds available to get through the [FY]22 budget cycle without tax increases,” said Rose. “Yet, Governor Pritzker and many of his Democrat party colleagues still say they don’t have enough money.”
The state’s independent Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) reports state revenues are around $7 billion more than projected when lawmakers passed their FY2021 budget last May (The state fiscal year runs July 1-June 30.) Projections for FY2022 are another $1.1 billion higher than that. That’s before $8.1 billion in federal funds the state will receive in the American Rescue Plan.
“All in, the Democrats who run this state and this building have $16 billion of unexpected revenue,” Rose said. “And yet, they’re looking each of you in the eye everyday and saying we don’t have enough money. Really? Really? These guys have plenty of money. “
Republicans say Pritzker should take proposed cuts to tax credits, like private school vouchers, blue collar job tax credits, and a Biodiesel tax credit off the table while the state has the money to fund the programs that have been agreed to on a bipartisan basis.
Rose says Democrats are unwilling to provide Republicans with a list of what spending will cause a budget deficit in the upcoming budget. But, he says, it’s likely because Democrats want to spend more on pet projects.
“The only reason you have a deficit is because [Democrats] can’t stop spending money,” Rose said.