(The Center Square) – Illinois House Republicans are calling for more transparency and oversight in the state’s budgeting process.
GOP lawmakers were highly critical of how the budget was handled last year, with little input from Republicans and little notice before it was voted upon.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said crafting the budget should be a bipartisan effort.
“The budget bills do not need to come forward in the final hours of the session with little or no Republican input, and certainly the budget shouldn’t be used as a political football, year after year,” McCombie said.
State Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, the House Republican’s chief budgeteer, would like Illinoisans to have a chance to provide input in the process.
“Holding real meaningful budget hearings, which respect minority voices, and provides for public input and transparency,” Hammond said.
Hammond has introduced some of the caucus’ primary budget reform ideas, including adopting a revenue estimate and a budget based on that revenue estimate, and respecting the voters’ decision to reject the graduated income tax hike.
House Republicans also want to see tax reform, including eliminating the franchise tax on employers, but State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, said he would like to raise taxes for some groups in the state that profited during the pandemic.
“A small handful of very wealthy people and very big businesses profiteered off the hardship that the rest of us were facing, so we think that those folks ought to pay what they owe,” Guzzardi said.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to unveil his intentions for this year’s budget when he delivers his State of the State address later this month.
It remains to be seen if the state’s unfunded pension debts will be addressed. Illinois’ five statewide pension systems had a total unfunded liability of $140 billion in fiscal 2022.
Lawmakers have until the end of spring session to approve a budget that is set to begin July 1.