SPRINGFIELD - Central Illinois lawmakers are reacting to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed $39 billion budget.
Pritzker outlined his proposal Wednesday for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
State Senator Dave Koehler is pleased the plan calls for increased education funding. The Peoria Democrat adds the budget proposal is, “an important marker for what it’s going to take to return the state budget to what it should be.”
State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth, a Democrat from Peoria, says downstate Republicans who are unhappy with the governor’s plan should offer their own.
“Their communities are incredibly dependent upon the functionality of state government and the resources that come from state government. So I think that it’s very important that if they don’t want to walk down this road of revenue or have a revenue conversation, then they should be proposing cuts,” says Gordon-Booth.
Gordon-Booth adds Pritzker’s address was the first in years where the General Assembly and the Executive office felt in sync.
The governor is proposes raising more than $1 billion in state revenue by legalizing recreational marijuana and sports betting. Pritzker also wants to reform the income tax system with a graduated tax based on income. Voters would have to approve that in 2020.
Senator Koehler says he still has questions on how the proposal will affect central Illinois, but he’s confident the Pritzker administration will work with lawmakers to achieve the best outcome.
