East Central Reporter

The Illinois House recently passed a $55 billion budget, which has sparked criticism for its size and the lack of debate surrounding its approval. Representative Niemerg expressed concerns about the impact on working families due to the included tax increases.

"Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem—it has a leadership and fiscal discipline problem," Niemerg stated. He criticized Governor J.B. Pritzker's administration, noting that since 2019, the proposed budget has increased by nearly $17 billion. "We keep setting new spending records year after year. The time for accountability is long overdue."

Niemerg argued that Democrats in the General Assembly are incorrectly attributing potential federal funding cuts to the state's budget crisis. He emphasized, "The federal government didn’t mandate $17 billion in new state spending—Illinois Democrats did that on their own and we are all paying the price for their bad decisions."

The budget includes allocations such as $21 million for abortion programs, over $65 million to promote electric vehicles, a $7,000 increase for legislators, $28.5 million for non-governmental organizations, nearly $39.3 million designated for undocumented immigrants, and over $87 million for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

"These numbers are just scratching the surface of the waste in this bloated budget," Niemerg said. He called for reductions in what he termed wasteful programs instead of increasing taxes and fees or blaming federal policies.

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