Chicago City Wire

Rep. Brad Stephens (R-Chicago) has called out his Democratic colleagues for how the recently passed budget.

“Democrats are touting their election-year budget as a triumph of good management when in reality it’s entirely temporary – the direct result of a massive federal bailout and an inflation-induced sugar high,” Stephens posted on Facebook on April 12. “When those temporary funds inevitably run out and structural changes have not been made, it will be Illinois families who foot the bill.”

The Illinois legislature passed the Fiscal Year 2023 budget early in the morning on April 9, WIFR reported. The Senate passed the $46.5 billion budget by a vote of 34-19, and the House passed it by a vote of 72-42. The budget allocates $12 billion for education spending, $8.8 billion for Human Services, $2.2 billion for public safety, and $1 billion for the state’s rainy day fund.

Within the budget, the state will give $350 million to K-12 public schools.

“We’ve achieved our state’s strongest fiscal position in generations, and we prioritized the education, public safety, health, and welfare of the residents of Illinois,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said, according to Chalkbeat Chicago.

NBC5 reported the budget will freeze Illinois’ motor fuel tax at 39 cents per gallon and will suspend Illinois’ 1% sales tax on groceries. The budget also includes property tax rebates of up to $300 per household. Democrats have praised the budget “for its impacts on taxpayers and its commitment to remaining balanced.”

The 2023 fiscal year starts in July.

Republicans have been critical of the budget, WAND reported.

“This budget includes $1.6 billion in pork projects in Democrat-only legislative districts," Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer (R-Jacksonville) said. "These include all sorts of things like a ‘pilot program’ for guaranteed minimum income for women in East St. Louis. This and all of the other projects amount to election-year bribes for their re-election, paid for by all Illinois taxpayers."