In response to Governor Pritzker’s budget address on Wednesday, State Senator Craig Wilcox issued the following statement:
“Today’s budget address from Governor Pritzker once again highlighted his tendency to deflect responsibility for Illinois’ fiscal challenges. Blaming President Trump does nothing to address the real issues facing our state. Illinois’ financial struggles are the result of decades of costly, short-sighted policies that have driven up taxes, pushed businesses to leave, and saddled the state with massive unfunded pension liabilities. Those policies did not come from Washington. They came from right here in Illinois.
“The Governor highlighted recent credit upgrades, but failed to acknowledge that Illinois still ranks last in credit rating among all 50 states. Years of structurally unbalanced budgets, growing pension debt, and a complete lack of fiscal discipline have left the state in this precarious position. Alarmingly, his remarks offered no concrete plan to address these longstanding issues.
“Illinois’ economic growth has lagged behind other states. Employment growth is weak, our GDP trails the national average, and repeated cuts to local funding have put communities at risk. If Illinois were performing even at average levels, our financial position would be far stronger today.
“Illinois can be more affordable, and Illinois can be stronger. But that will require leadership willing to control spending and stop passing policies that do more harm than good. The citizens of Illinois deserve real solutions, not blame-shifting.”