McHenry Times

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) has credited "Biden bucks" for improving the state's finances, not Gov. J.B. Protzker (D-IL) who introduced additional spending as part of the latest budget proposal.

Wilcox was critical of Pritzker's plan as introduced during the State of the State Address on Feb. 2. 

"This Governor has not pledged enough of this federal money to even fund the unemployment trust fund gap, which has a hole of $5 to $6 billion or more. He's proposed new $2.5 billion in permanent state government growth, that's new spending, and tries to appease citizens with a $1 billion temporary relief program in an election year? He and his staff know the growth in government spending needs that tax relief money in those out years," Wilcox said. 

The senator was referencing the Governor's proposal to provide tax relief to taxpayers in the form of a one-time payment in the form of a property tax rebate, delaying the increased gas tax, and freezing the state's grocery tax. 

"Republican tax relief proposals would be permanent tax relief proposals and help offset this untenable inflationary period which has been kicked off by Democrat spending in the creation of money at the federal level which is upending our financial fundamentals and our economy," Wilcox said.

Wilcox noted that major issues, such as the pension problem, have not been properly addressed and the budget plan as is will just continue to add to the state's debt. 

"This budget will again be a Democrat majority-developed budget dropped on the General Assembly floor hours before an expected vote and likely full of budgetary gimmicks to claim it is balanced," he said. "We'll learn more in the weeks and months after the budget is passed, then we'll be allowed to see before there's a vote on it."

According to an article published on Patch, Pritzker's budget plan totals about $112.5 billion.

Less than half of the budget would come from the state's general revenue fund with $67 billion coming from federal funding, the report noted.

The article also pointed out that state pensions were a big part of the proposal, and the Governor proposed setting aside $500 million for the Pension Stabilization Fund.