East Central Reporter

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and Republican Budgeteers held a press conference to discuss their priorities for the Fiscal Year 2025 State Budget. McCombie outlined the House Republican priorities, which include holding the majority party accountable to spending, providing tax relief to Illinois residents, tackling the state's pension debt, and implementing real ethics reform.

"We have reached out to the Governor, Senate President Harmon, and Speaker Welch to again ask them to work with us. But to that tune, it takes two to negotiate. And most importantly, we must negotiate in good faith. That requires trust to be rebuilt, where it has been broken by Speaker Welch in last year’s budget process," said Leader McCombie.

Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond highlighted the bipartisan efforts made by Republicans and Democratic colleagues to protect family farms by changing Illinois' burdensome estate tax. However, Representative Chris Miller believes that the estate tax should be completely abolished to prevent private equity corporations from purchasing family farms.

The Illinois State Budget for Fiscal Year 2025 will be a major challenge for the state. With spending already bumping up against the limits of current state revenue, Illinois cannot afford to add new spending programs. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie emphasized the need to put Illinois' working families first, rather than new spending programs and higher taxes.

The General Assembly's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (CGFA) reported a significant income tax shortfall in January 2024. Personal income taxes paid to the Illinois Department of Revenue were down $52 million compared to the previous year, and corporate income tax payments were down $15 million. These numbers indicate a negative revenue trend for the State.

The Pritzker Administration admitted that the controversial immigrant healthcare program is running more than $200 million over budget. The programs, "Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults" and "Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors," provide taxpayer-funded health care for undocumented immigrants in Illinois. The Pritzker administration implemented enrollment freezes, but costs have continued to increase, leading to a $223 million cost overrun.

Gun rights advocates have appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the Illinois gun ban enacted by the Protect Illinois Communities Act (PICA). The law bans numerous semi-automatic firearms and possession of related items. Petitions filed with the Supreme Court ask for the law to be struck down, citing prior court decisions that have upheld gun rights.

As Illinois faces budget challenges, House Republicans urge spending restraint and prioritize the needs of working families. The state must address the income tax shortfall and find solutions to the cost overrun of the immigrant healthcare program. Gun rights advocates hope for a favorable outcome from the Supreme Court regarding the Illinois gun ban.