The governor has proposed taking 10% of the income tax money it currently shares with cities, towns, and counties through the Local Government Distributive Fund. “This on top of years and years and years of pension enhancements and unfunded mandates that the state legislature hands us that we have to come up with the money to fix,” said Normal Mayor Chris Koos.

Pritzker’s proposal to keep the state education budget flat comes at a critical time for schools. Last month, the Illinois State Board of Education recommended that the state increase the almost $9 billion budget by $412 million for the next school year to adequately fund schools statewide and help districts deal with potential learning loss from school shutdowns and uneven remote learning experiences.

From Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President & CEO Mark Denzler: “In the midst of a global pandemic that has caused widespread economic disruption, the Governor’s repeated attempts to hike taxes on small businesses and job creators is unacceptable…Meanwhile, other states have embraced policies to grow the economy by cutting taxes, reducing regulations and adopting liability protections.”

The governor quickly shifted into attacking Republicans nationally and on the local level over their response to the pandemic, though the Illinois GOP holds no statewide offices and is in a super-minority in the General Assembly, leaving Democrats in control to act without their input…“In essence, they eliminated the fire department, burned down the house and poured gas on the flames — and now they’re asking why we’re not doing more to prevent fires,” Pritzker said of Republicans.

“The department needs to find a way to get those offices reopened in a way that is safe for its employees but also allows claimants to access those offices. Folks really rely on those offices,” said Jeremy Rosen, of the Shriver Center on Poverty Law.

“When nearly every sector of the business community, including competitors, get behind a cause, it’s worthy of a double take. In this case, opposition to a bill on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk is making friends out of competitors in the retail, health care, manufacturing, small business, corporate and travel industries.”

“Maybe Pritzker can work some magic with lawmakers; he also might find out Democrats have friends in the business community too. Balancing a budget by taking away tax breaks for them in a state that isn’t as competitive as its neighbors might not be such a popular idea after all.”

New Black Caucus House Chair Rep. Kam Buckner praised the proposed budget, particularly that it does not call for an increase in the state’s flat tax while increasing funding for the Department of Children and Family Services. However, he had several indirect criticisms for Pritzker’s administration surrounding its handling of medical and recreational marijuana licenses.

The Illinois Federation of Teachers has sent a petition to the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health urging them to revise the rollout’s eligibility requirements. The petition was signed by over 3,000 people.

Pritzker said the additional funding he is seeking for IDES “builds upon work we have already done this year, and will support new call center positions throughout the state, help run the newly created federal unemployment programs, and upgrade the technology to more efficiently get this critical work done.”

Gov. says he is ending ‘corporate loopholes,’ Republicans call it a ‘tax increase’

“I had bolder plans for our state budget than what I am going to present to you today. It would be a lie to suggest otherwise,” he said. “It reflects $400 million in additional cuts to appropriations, a hiring freeze, flat operational spending, full required pension payments, and the closure of unaffordable corporate loopholes. All in all, it reduces spending to meet projected revenues.”

Among the prepared statements compiled in this report, state Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) said, “This budget is not balanced nor will it cure Illinois’ fiscal crisis. Now that we have seen the governor’s budget, it’s up to the House to hold appropriations hearings to craft a budget that is balanced – without new taxes and over-spending.”

The labor organization called on Gov. JB Pritzker to propose increased spending for improvements for IDES and other service-oriented state agencies in his budget address today.

The campaign announced Wednesday before the governor’s budget address is reminiscent of the GOP’s “Fire Madigan” campaign that targeted the former House Speaker.

State Sen. Steve McClure said he suspects a number of people who should be in prison are out committing new crimes. “The other issue to study that is the fact we don’t know how many people are actually committing these crimes, because most people, particularly in shooting cases which is a huge problem right now, they don’t get caught.”

Delivered 2/17/20 by remote video.

On a party-line vote, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, or JCAR, declined to block the new “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards” from going into effect, despite objections by Republicans who argued the rules would ultimately require licensed teachers and administrators to adhere to a particular political ideology.

“Even if the federal government comes forward under the best case scenario right now of $7.5 billion in new revenue support for the state of Illinois as part of the new (president Joe) Biden and new federal Congress relief package, it’s short-term money. It’s going to be spent and then there is going to be again a structural hole,” said Laurence Msall, the head of the nonpartisan Civic Federation.

“Springfield lawmakers are about to receive an estimated $7.55 billion lifeline from Congress. It represents a chance to prevent tax increases during an economic crisis and to cancel any previously planned cuts in government programs for vulnerable Illinoisans. It is also an opportunity to enact pension reform and other structural spending reforms needed to improve Illinois’ long-term financial health.”

Operators collected more than $125 million in revenue, which resulted in the state receiving nearly $19 million in tax receipts for the year. Cook County, which receives a separate 2% tax on adjusted gross revenue on bets made inside its borders, collected nearly $1.4 million.

“I do not want the legislators, or anyone else for that matter, to get excited about any new federal stimulus dollars coming in,” Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Tuesday afternoon. “Because honestly, it’s not going to be like Christmas morning. There is not going to be a new Lexus in the state’s driveway with the big red bow.”

The proposed tax policy changes include: reversing a phaseout of the state’s corporate franchise tax, eliminating an additional tax credit for companies receiving other state incentives that create construction jobs, lowering the deduction for taxpayers who donate to private school scholarship funds, capping a discount for retailers that collect state sales tax, and ending a sales tax exemption for manufacturers.