Lake County Gazette

Illinois State Rep. Martin McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills) opposes the $46.5 billion Fiscal Year 2023 budget that recently advanced in the House and the Senate.

The Illinois legislature passed the FY 2023 budget early in the morning on April 9, WIFR reported. The budget allocates $12 billion for education spending, $8.8 billion for Human Services, $2.2 billion for public safety and $1 billion for the state’s rainy day fund. The Senate advanced the $46.5 billion budget by a vote of 34-19, and the House advanced it by a vote of 72-42.

McLaughlin issued a press release criticizing House Democrats for their methods in getting the budget passed. 

"I voted 'no' on the Democrats’ budget today, because it’s long on risky financial maneuvers and short on real fiscal reforms which our state desperately needs," McLaughlin said, according to the press release. "The Democrats’ budget did not fix the Unemployment Insurance fund, added over $3 billion in pork projects for Democrat’s districts, and they added pay raises for themselves to add insult to injury." 

McLaughlin said the budget was crafted behind closed doors.

"We received the final budget draft in the House Chamber at 4 a.m. – moments before the final vote on shortened debate," he said. "This process is a terrible way to review such an important piece of legislation let alone understand the intention of where exactly all of our money is headed. My cursory review looks like the governor and his team are spending as if he actually received permission from the voters to implement his unpopular progressive tax increase, but in reality 58% of Illinoisans rejected that egregious fiscal spending in 2020."

The budget will freeze Illinois' motor fuel tax at 39 cents per gallon and will suspend Illinois' 1% sales tax on groceries, according to NBC 5 Chicago News. The budget also includes property tax rebates of up to $300 per household. Illinois Democrats have praised the budget "for its impacts on taxpayers and its commitment to remaining balanced."

Republicans have been critical of the budget, WAND reported. 

“This budget includes $1.6 billion in pork projects in Democrat-only legislative districts. These include all sorts of things like a ‘pilot program’ for guaranteed minimum income for women in East St. Louis. This and all of the other projects amount to election-year bribes for their re-election, paid for by all Illinois taxpayers," State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer said.