Suburban lawmakers divided over long-term impact of governor's plan
The response from suburban legislators to Gov. J.B. Pritzker's address Wednesday split mostly on party lines over whether the plans he outlined offered true solutions to the state's budget woes.
For example, Republican state Sen. John Curran of Downers Grove called Pritzker's proposal for temporary property tax relief and a freeze on the gas and grocery taxes a "gimmick" that avoids the larger goal of long-term fiscal stability.
"It helps for one year," Curran said, "but it does nothing for the high cost of living."
Sen. Ann Gillespie, an Arlington Heights Democrat, countered that proposals to increase payments toward pensions by $500 million along with a boost to the rainy-day fund represent "a great testament to the Illinois economy and a commitment to financial stability."
"We heard a lot about the high tax we pay in the suburbs, and this governor is listening to that and giving residents a break with a rebate this year," she said.
Other Republicans worried that not enough was proposed to pay down the state's debt. Instead, said Sen. Don DeWitte, a St. Charles Republican, "the governor continues to expand government rather than taking the windfall (federal funding) and taking debt off the taxpayers' back."
Many Republicans complained the governor did not address the state's unemployment trust fund, which one critic, McHenry Sen. Craig Wilcox, said has a deficit of $5 billion.
In contrast, Sen. Cristina Castro, an Elgin Democrat, said the governor's proposals give a "glimmer of hope that we are starting to head into the right direction."
Republicans have long decried the Democrats' criminal justice reform law passed last year, and Curran complained that the governor did not propose enough funding for mandated body cameras for all law enforcement officers.
"I think my constituents are going to be unimpressed with what the governor is going to do on crime," Curran said. "We need a greater investment in our local law enforcement."
Regarding public safety, Gillespie said in a statement, "The proposal builds on the public safety reforms we passed last year and will help create safer communities across Illinois."