Macon Reporter

State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) fears things figure to get much worse before they get better in Illinois after Democrats banded to pass the state’s new $42 billion budget.

“It’s a bad, bad, bad budget with more spending, more borrowing and heavy reliance on future tax increases,” Halbrook told the Macon Reporter. “But, hey, I imagine Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker got what he wanted.”

The plan that Democrats threw their support behind in lockstep also banks on major funding from the federal government in hopes of plugging the many holes made even deeper by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, lawmakers added a provision that also clears the way for a $5 billion loan from the federal government.

“It’s unbelievable that this is the budget they come up with when we’re going to have a revenue shortfall because of the coronavirus, along with reduced business activity, reduced sales tax and layoffs all across the state,” Halbrook said. “The out-of-control spending in Springfield is just not sustainable.”

Halbrook argues the new budget also grants unfettered powers to the governor in the way he elects to administer it.

“Democrats are ceding an enormous amount of control and authority over the budget to Gov. Pritzker with practically no oversight or limitation,” he added in a news release. “This is the same governor who has already threatened communities who dare to defy his continued lockdown orders by withholding federal pass-through dollars and the same governor who has failed to get the state’s unemployment claims website fixed.”

Halbrook said the governor’s fixation on his proposed progressive income tax proposal strikes him as being just as reckless.

“The Democrats are banking on revenue from massive tax increases if this Constitutional Amendment is adopted, but what if it does not pass?” he said.