Senate GOP proposes cuts to schools, health care

SPRINGFIELD — Suburban Republican senators Thursday helped release a state budget-cutting plan that takes aim at some of the most controversial areas of state spending — schools, health care for the poor and the retirement plans of public employees.

The Republicans propose cutting billions in total from the three areas and others, saying that despite the recent income tax increase, the state budget continues to suffer.

“If the Greeks were writing the myths today, they’d probably include balancing the Illinois budget as one of the twelve feats of Hercules,” said Sen. Pam Althoff, a McHenry Republican.

Winning approval for some of their ideas could be a herculean task. Cutting money from schools is politically difficult, as is pulling the health care coverage for some poor Illinoisans.

And Senate President John Cullerton has said reducing the future pension benefits for current state workers would be unconstitutional. Still, he said he’d provide legislation that Republicans can attach their budget plans to.

“It’s nice to hear them say something other than ‘no,’” Cullerton said in a statement. “Nevertheless, their efforts must go beyond more than news releases and photo ops. Releasing a list of possible cuts shouldn’t be the end of their participation in the budget process. I hope that this is just the beginning.”

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont said her party in the Senate would promise to put up half the votes needed on proposals that make painful cuts.

Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, said the Senate GOP realizes that there won’t be enough waste and misspending in government to make more than $4 billion in cuts. Instead, government will have to cut spending on programs many Illinoisans care deeply about.

“There’s going to have to be real programs and real pain,” Murphy said.

Republicans released the plan at a Capitol news conference Thursday morning.

Details of the plan are available at www.illinoisrealitycheck.com.