East Central Reporter

State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) has criticized the majority party's priorities in Illinois' final state budget, which he claims raises taxes while allocating substantial funds to programs and services for non-citizens.

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget outlines $53.1 billion in spending, supported by approximately $750 million in tax increases. It includes provisions for electric vehicle subsidies, abortion services funding, and pay raises for lawmakers. Notably, over $1 billion is designated for non-citizen-related expenditures.

"Working families are struggling to heat and cool their homes and pay for groceries and we are giving legislators a 5 percent pay increase," Niemerg stated. "This budget prioritizes the Democrats’ far-left agenda and does nothing to help working people. The budget is nothing more than a goodie bag for the woke left."

Niemerg highlighted that the budget allocates more than three times the amount spent on the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs towards services for illegal immigrants.

"I understand why people want to come to the United States, but we have laws, and those laws should be enforced," Niemerg said. "This spending is not sustainable. We must put our own citizens first. The idea that we would spend three times what we spend on services for veterans on programs for illegals shows the lack of empathy for our own citizens. The only thing that matters to the far-left is their woke agenda and they will stop at nothing to advance their policies. We deserve better."