Moylan pushing to get state funds released to towns, lottery winners
State Rep. Marty Moylan is pushing to get state gambling funds, gas taxes and other money released to local municipalities, and he's been going town to town to talk to local mayors and officials to elicit support for his proposal.
This week, he was at a Des Plaines city council meeting to discuss legislation he sponsored that would make the state release $1.84 billion to towns, lottery winners and the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, among others, that have been withheld in the ongoing budget stalemate between the governor and legislative leaders.
Moylan, a Des Plaines Democrat who used to be the town's mayor, argues the funds should be released because they have been collected into special funds and aren't part of the state's general fund. Passing the legislation, Moylan believes, would give the state proper appropriation authority to relinquish the money in lieu of a state budget.
"They have nothing to do with the broader budget and should be released," he said.
Many Des Plaines officials expressed their support for Moylan's bill, particularly because the city relies on $8 million in proceeds from Rivers Casino gambling tax revenues every year.
City officials project that if the state budget impasse lasts through the end of the calendar year, the city will not receive $11.1 million in gambling revenues, $660,000 in motor fuel taxes, and $186,000 in emergency 911 fees.
"We bring our kids up to follow the law and be good citizens and pay your taxes and do everything right, and we go by agreements," Alderman Dick Sayad said. "We as a city and all the other cities have got an agreement with the state of Illinois, and now you're telling us here in the 12th hour, 'Hey, wait a minute, we don't have to give you the money.' I think it's appalling to hear this in the year 2015.
"It's our money. It's money we paid into motor fuel and the casino and all the different entities."
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's office told the Associate Press the legislation is "another attempt by the Democratic majority to piecemeal together a budget that will force a tax hike on hardworking families without any meaningful reforms."
Rauner has pushed for Democrats to support pro-business proposals before he agrees to a budget.
Moylan said he doesn't know when the deadlock in Springfield will end but says he and colleagues on his side of the aisle are "staying strong" against some of the governor's proposals. Moylan says he agrees with term limits, but not efforts to scale back union collective bargaining rights.
Des Plaines Alderman Jim Brookman said he wants the city's money back, but also knows there's another side to the story since Moylan said he expected a "floor fight" when the bill comes up for debate next Tuesday.
The city council plans to hear from Republican State Rep. David Harris at an upcoming meeting.