Reaction to Pritzker's Budget Message

State legislators from this region panned Governor J.B. Pritzker's budget message, but the retiring president of Eastern Illinois University gave the education component of the package a thumbs up.

State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City) said he heard no common sense fiscal reforms whatsoever.

Wilhour said, "The Governor today touted a $50 billion budget full of new programs and new spending despite the fact Illinois has the worst credit rating of all 50 states and is losing population at an alarming rate.

“We lost more than 100,000 people last year and we lost a congressional seat,” Wilhour said. “The population loss is not the result of some Internet conspiracy. It is real and yet our leaders won’t even talk about it. Instead, the only thing our Governor is interested in is making sure we expand abortion services in Illinois and appease the far-left base of his party.”

Wilhour also noted there was no mention of lowering energy costs, no mention of fiscal reforms, no mention of ways to curb inflation and no mention of demanding more accountability in government.

State Representative Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said he believes the governor is setting Illinois up for a tax increase.

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) criticized Pritzker's push for his “woke wish list” to the detriment of hard-working Illinois families and seniors on fixed incomes who are grappling with record inflation.

Niemerg said, “Governor Pritzker claims that he has swooped in and saved Illinois from itself and all is rosy because of his leadership over the past four years, without admitting that the things he is taking credit for were only made possible by temporary bailouts from the federal government through pandemic relief monies."

State Senator Steve McClure (R-Springfield) said the governor's proposal is for increased spending while revenues are projected to decrease, but necessary help for Illinoisans is not included in the proposal. 

State Senator Jason Plummer (R-Edwardsville) said, “I think state spending can be judged by three criteria: transparency, discipline, and priorities.

“The Governor has gone to great length to avoid transparency in his administration in many ways, and how it spends the taxpayers’ money is no different. His administration has consistently had record spending levels, largely based on federal money and other one-time revenues. Those revenues are disappearing, yet budget-busting spending continues, showing a complete lack of discipline. It is also a real missed opportunity to fix some of the underlying issues impacting our status as a state in terrible fiscal condition. While funding has been increased nearly across the board, we are still seeing constant issues with the agencies tasked with caring for our most vulnerable citizens, which means the money is not being prioritized where it is needed most. We have a moral obligation to do better."

Regarding the budget message as it would impact education, Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman was pleased with what he heard.

“Today’s budget proposal is a win for Illinois, for Illinois higher education, and the Illinois economy,” said Glassman. “We applaud the Governor’s Office and IBHE for their unwavering commitment to higher education across the State. Today’s proposal increases student and family access to higher education, provides critical institutional and programmatic supports, creates high-impact incentives for Illinois graduates to work in and contribute to the Illinois economy, and continues to supply Illinois with skilled workers across critical industries like healthcare, K-12 education, and information technology—including public service professionals like first responders and mental health specialists.”