On Thursday afternoon, Illinois state lawmakers override Gov. Rauner’s veto to pass a budget in over two years. The vote also includes an income tax increase for Illinois residents.
State legislators and gubernatorial candidates chime in on this milestone victory:
Statement by Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs:
“Today’s vote to override Governor Bruce Rauner’s veto of the budget was the only option to restore vital funding to universities, social service agencies, and try to avoid another credit downgrade.
“This is not a time to rejoice. Today only brings us a bit of relief, but it is a step in the right direction to put Illinois back on track,” Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said.
“The courage shown by several Republican members of the Illinois General Assembly is commendable. My hope is that the bipartisanship of these last few days will continue.
State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D – Chicago Heights) released the following statement:
“For the first time in two years, Illinois has a complete balanced budget. The governor gets pension changes his administration sought that should produce nearly $1.5 billion in annual savings. There are also resources dedicated in this budget to pay down $8 billion in overdue bills.
“This budget is a responsible step forward that will restore economic stability and certainty to Illinois. We are counting on rating agencies to recognize our progress and the importance of today’s action.”
Statement from Secretary of State Jesse White:
“I applaud the bipartisan effort today by the Illinois General Assembly. My top priority remains providing the highest level of customer service to the people of Illinois in a fiscally responsible manner. With the implementation of a full budget, my office can do just that.”
Running for the governor’s office, Democratic candidate, JB Pritzker released the following statement:
“Bruce Rauner manufactured a 736-day crisis to force his special interest agenda on our state. Today, Democratic and Republican members of the state legislature came together to say enough is enough, but Bruce Rauner’s damage is already done,” said JB Pritzker. “Rauner led the state to $14.7 billion in unpaid bills, interest on state debt continues to skyrocket, and local governments across the state have been forced to raise taxes to compensate for a lack of state funds. Social services agencies closed, impacting countless families across Illinois, students fled to go to college in other states, and we lost opportunities for job creation.
IL State Senate (9th District) and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Daniel Biss released the following statement:
“I’m glad that because rank and file legislators on both sides of the aisle followed their consciences instead of their leaders, we avoided the catastrophe of yet another year without a budget. Now it’s time to solve our long term problems. We need to build on this collaboration and come together to create real progress by making the rich pay their fair share to fund our schools, protect people’s health care, and get our economy moving.”
Mayor Rahm Emanuel release statement on Illinois State budget vote:
“I want to thank Senate President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan for their leadership, and I want to thank Democrats and Republicans in the Illinois House and Senate for coming together to put the people of Illinois before party politics. Like so many others across the state, I wish the governor had been willing to actually compromise at some point in this process because the only thing his my-way-or-the-highway approach has gotten Illinois is nearly three years of gridlock and $15 billion in unpaid bills. Thankfully, today’s bipartisan, balanced budget is the first step in bringing stability and certainty back to Illinois and putting our state back on track.”
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