Senator Jim Oberweis released the following statement after Governor J. B. Pritzker delivered his Budget Address February 19 to a joint session of legislators in the House of Representatives.

“The Governor put the best face possible on Illinois’ fiscal situation; unfortunately, his glowing assessment does not square with the facts, and his spending plan relies on a huge income tax increase to implement.  He also skims over the most fundamental problems we have.  We are the highest-taxed state in the nation.  We are one of the most corrupt states in the nation, and are the only state in the nation that has lost population for the last six years.

We have to change the way things are done in Springfield.  We have all these advantages but the politicians keep screwing it up.  We have to get rid of the corruption.  We have to reduce property taxes.  We must address our fundamental pension problem that is stealing the future from our grandchildren.  We have to get control of the run-away spending.  Unfortunately, the Governor’s tax that is central to his spending plan is the final nail in the coffin to driving even more of our tax-paying citizens out of the state, and that is wrong.”

As the legislative budget process gets under way, Senator Oberweis says he stands ready to work with his fellow lawmakers to make the tough decisions necessary to pass a balanced budget with structural reforms that will boost the economy and jobs.

Fiscal Year 2021 runs from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.