By GREG BISHOP
Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (IRN) – Legislators have a handful of days left before the end of the Illinois General Assembly’s spring session, and the Saturday, May 31, deadline to pass a budget for the next fiscal year.
Taxpayers still haven’t seen the full details of how their money will be spent by state government for the fiscal year that begins July 1. State Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, said the majority party is doing what it’s done the past seven years.
“It’s the same process that’s produced six consecutive balanced budgets,” Didech said during an unrelated news conference Friday. “It’s the same process that’s earned our state nine credit rating upgrades.”
Democrats are talking about the budget behind closed doors.
State Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Moline, is one of the GOP budgeteers. She said she did meet on high-level talks with Democrats a few weeks ago.
“We had a couple of meetings, they were very high level, 10,000 feet if you will,” Hammond said. “Nothing of any substance.”
The budget could spend up to $55 billion.
Friday, state Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, told members of the Illinois House they should look at the so-called “big, beautiful” bill and work to bring about changes for Illinois to take advantage of, including changes to the estate tax.
“Illinois should follow suit. At a minimum, we should match the federal exemption levels,” Halbrook said. “But I believe we should go even further and eliminate the Illinois estate tax altogether.”
Didech used expletives to express his criticism of the bill working through Congress, and how he said it would negatively impact Illinois.
“And we’re going to have to make some very, very tough choices this year because Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have passed this big bulls*** bill that’s gonna hurt people in Illinois,” Didech said.
Both chambers return Tuesday and are scheduled through Saturday, May 31.
