Macon Reporter

A downstate lawmaker has joined forces with nearly two dozen Republican state House members to form a new caucus the group is hoping will return Illinois to what they see as the state’s glory days.

“We hope we can drive the issue of reform on important issues and make people aware of what needs to be done to drive Illinois back to greatness,” state Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) told the Macon Reporter. “Property taxes, pension reform, Medicaid spending and ethics reform are just some of the issues that need to be addressed.”

In striving to bring about a level of change they all argue is long overdue, Halbrook joins an Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus that also includes Reps. Blaine Wilhour, Chris Miller, Allen Skillicorn, Darren Bailey, David McSweeney and Amy Grant.

“We have an outline and agenda for what we want to accomplish,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll get cooperation from the other side of the aisle, but our focus is committed no matter what. Taxpayers all across this state are hurting and we have to have a bold agenda to get us back on track.”

Halbrook laments the state’s newly passed $42 billion spending plan that Democrats banded together to send to the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker is just more of the same fiscal irresponsibility.

“I don’t see anything good in this new budget,” he said. “Frankly, it’s just more borrowing and spending and if the graduated income tax the governor wants passes, it’ll only be worse.”

Halbrook said the idea for the Freedom Caucus is to address the frustrations felt by members who are convinced that Springfield is falling short of fulfilling its responsibilities to the people of the state.

“We’re just a group trying to create a plan that will bring about some much-needed relief to the people of this state,” he said.