Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka stopped through Peoria as part of the kick-off of her re-election campaign. Topinka was flanked by area Republican lawmakers during her so-called, “Common Sense Express” Tour.
Topinka says as Comptroller, she’s created an online site that allows taxpayers to view state expenses, and she’s worked to mandate local governments file timely financial reports. She says if re-elected she will continue her push to combine the state Treasurer and Comptroller offices. She says the Senate approved the move in the last legislative session, but it stalled in the House.
"We have a huge number of co-sponsors in the House and in the Senate, so we know legislatively that the state wants this. So I suggest anybody who's standing in the way, re-think your position, please. It would save us 12-million dollars a year in duplication. That's just money thrown away for no good reason, and you never miss it because the functions would be the same. It would still work."
Topinka says she will also work towards dealing with the state’s seven-and-a-half billion dollar backlog of overdue bills by opposing new spending and borrowing that would drive the state deeper into debt. Topinka continues her Common Sense tour this week with stops throughout the state.