Lake County Gazette

Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) reacted to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State and budget address last week, emphasizing the need for affordable statewide living.

Among comments, McConchie expressed appreciation for parts of the governor’s address, while offering critiques on spending to add permanent government expansion.

“Trying to get our fiscal house in order is a good thing,“ McConchie said. “One of the things I have a real concern about is the fact that the governor is proposing what appears to be about $2.5 billion in permanent government expansion while only providing $1 billion tax relief and only on a short-term basis, only for this next year.”

In the last year alone, McConchie said more than 113,000 residents have decided to move out of the state

“Many are saying the reason for doing so is the cost of living, high taxes and other costs that are associated with them trying to live here in Illinois,” McConchie said. “And the governor appears to be hearing that people are having issues with the cost of living but only is offering this short-term relief."

He said substantial long-term tax relief is needed to make it affordable and desirable for people to live in the state once again. 

“I look forward to the debate in the coming weeks about this, but really fixing our state means making it so the people want to move into the state, making it affordable for them to do so,” McConchie said.

According to Patch, Pritzker’s state budget totals $112.5 billion. Of that, $45.5 billion would be from the state’s general revenue fund while the rest would come from federal funds.