McLean County Times

The House adjourned for the summer at about 5:00 Wednesday morning, shortly after the majority party pushed through a $53.1 billion state budget for Fiscal Year 2025. This budget, the largest in Illinois history, spans over 3,000 pages and is $2.6 billion more than last year’s enacted budget. Over the past four years, state expenditures have grown by more than $13 billion under the Democrat-controlled General Assembly and Governor JB Pritzker.

To balance this record spending budget, Democrats voted for $1 billion in tax hikes on video gaming and sports gambling. Additionally, another $1 billion was allocated to address the illegal immigrant crisis, including healthcare and welcome centers. The budget also includes a 5% pay increase for legislators, marking the third raise in two years and positioning Illinois as having the third highest-paid legislature in the country.

In FY25, more than $86 million from General Revenue Funds and $147 million from other state funds will be appropriated for projects associated with or in members’ districts. The budget also relies on nearly $1 billion in what some describe as "budget gimmicks" that obscure the true cost of this spending plan moving forward.

Republicans expressed frustration with both the content of the budget and its crafting process. They noted that no Republican was involved in negotiating on behalf of their constituents. During the final vote, there were allegations that Democrat staff voted on behalf of absent members—a practice Republicans claimed happens too often. Despite some votes being removed after these claims were made, the budget ultimately passed with the minimum 60 votes following a rule change by the majority party.

State Rep. Mary Beth Canty (D-Arlington Heights) defended Senate Bill 3455 to create a task force to study Illinois' property tax system. Critics argue that a similar study conducted after 2019 did not result in any tax relief and question whether this new study will yield different results.

Illinois has among the highest property taxes in the nation, which is cited as a major reason families and businesses are relocating to other states. Critics argue that real and meaningful relief is needed rather than another study.

The April 2024 unemployment report showed significantly higher rates in certain metropolitan areas compared to statewide figures: Danville (5.3%), Decatur (5.7%), Kankakee (5.7%), and Rockford (5.9%). These regions tend to have economies traditionally oriented towards manufacturing and heavy industry.

Additionally, an I-Cash Event with the Treasurer’s Office is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4th from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm at our district office in Pontiac to help residents check unclaimed property records and file claims.