SE Illinois News

Illinois state Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) compares the just passed $42 billion state budget to a now unemployed worker using any stimulus money given to him by the government to buy a new car.

“We’d be in the same boat in that neither one of us could tell you for sure where the money for what we’ve just done will be coming from going forward,” Bailey told the SE Illinois News. “For Springfield to be counting on borrowing more money and getting a windfall from the federal government to cover so much of what's in this budget is just beyond being irresponsible.”

The new $42 billion state budget approved by Democrat majorities in both chambers of the State Assembly in the 11th hour of an emergency pandemic session deeply counts on federal funding to stitch together holes made even more massive by the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.  As part of the plan, lawmakers also signed off on a measure that paves the way for the state to borrow up to an additional $5 billion from the federal government, which Democrats hope will ultimately be repaid by more funds coming from Washington.

“The truth is all of this working is being pinned on the hopes of the federal government sweeping in to give the state mounds and mounds of money to keep it afloat,” Bailey added. “It’s a typical Democratic charade where there was no Republican input and the $2 billion more in spending with this budget compared to last year is all directed toward payroll increases.”

Bailey fumes the most outlandish element of all is the $1,800 raise lawmakers granted themselves as part of the package. 

“We’ve got over a million more people in this state unemployed since the virus hit and this is what Democrats in Springfield do,” he said. “It shows an absolute disregard for the welfare and future of this state.”