Springfield, IL - The Illinois General Assembly recently approved a state budget which increases spending $2 billion more than last year. The $35.5 billion state budget approved by House Democrats was not created in a bi-partisan manner. According to Illinois State Representative Dwight Kay (R-Glen Carbon), "this year's state budget spends money our state does not have nor can afford."
This spring House Republicans were kicked out of budget negotiations when they began to question the amount of pork-barrel projects discussed in the proposed state budget, resulting in this year's budget failing to receive any bi-partisan support.
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"The voters elected us because they want us to work together not dictate," said Rep. Kay. "When I first took office in 2011 the House worked together to create a bi-partisan state budget, this year's process was not bi-partisan. I voted against this year's budget because it spends money our state does not have nor can afford."
Seven bills create the Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) state budget beginning July 1, 2013 and ending on June 30, 2014. The following budget bills are Senate Bills 2555, 2556 and House Bills 206, 208, 213, 214, and 215.
"The politicians in Springfield don't get it, we can't continue to spend money we don't have," said Rep. Kay. "Our state budget continues to grow while the bureaucrats hunger for debt is busting at the seams. At the end of June our state will have an estimated $7.5 billion in unpaid bills, spending an additional $2 billion without putting a plan in place to pay our bills is irresponsible."
The state budget approved by both the House and Senate await approval by Governor Quinn.
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