May 26th 2024.
The Illinois Senate Democrats were making significant progress on Sunday towards approving the state's next budget. As fellow Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker's plans were mostly kept in place, there was a $400 million increase in expected spending. However, this budget also included a 5% raise for Senate representatives, House representatives, and many high-ranking state officials.
The Senate was preparing to vote on the $53.1 billion fiscal plan during the busy Memorial Day weekend. Both the Senate and House, with their Democratic majorities, were working to find common ground on some key issues. Meanwhile, Republicans were voicing their opinions, but without enough political power to sway the outcome. The proposed budget included $750 million in tax hikes, but also made cuts to the governor's plans in order to help lower and middle-income families in Illinois.
Senate President Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, expressed confidence in getting the budget passed, stating, "We're going to get it done. We're grinding away." He also emphasized their close communication with the House, saying, "We live by the mantra 'no surprises,' and we're going to try to make sure that we don't send anything to the House that they're not ready to receive."
Amidst the ongoing debates and discussions among Democrats, the lawmakers surpassed their self-imposed Friday deadline and the Illinois House adjourned on Saturday night. They planned to resume after the holiday weekend, setting the stage for a final budget passage midweek.
Some noteworthy highlights from the 3,400-page budget plan included a slight hourly increase for service providers who assist individuals with developmental disabilities, a more generous child tax credit, and a decision not to lower the annual increase to the standard state income tax exemption. This was a relief for experts who believed that lowering the exemption would negatively impact lower-income families.
During a hearing on Sunday morning, state Senator Elgie Sims, the chief budget negotiator for the Senate Democrats, revealed that the proposed budget was around $53.1 billion, which was $400 million more than Pritzker's proposed spending of $52.7 billion. Sims stated that the budget prioritized education, public safety, and addressing homelessness, among many other state services.
Not mentioned during the hearing was the inclusion of a 5% pay raise for lawmakers, which would increase the base pay for all 177 members of the General Assembly to $93,712 annually. Many lawmakers also receive additional stipends for holding leadership positions or chairing committees. Last year, Governor Pritzker used his veto powers to reduce pay increases for lawmakers and other officials after they approved raises that exceeded limits set by state law. This year, the budget also included raises of about 5% for the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller, and treasurer, as well as for the heads of executive agencies. However, Governor Pritzker, being a billionaire heir of Hyatt Hotels, does not collect a salary as governor.
Republican Senator Chapin Rose criticized the Democrats' budget proposal, stating that it called for too much spending, including for non-citizens receiving healthcare, and funds for the migrant crisis in Chicago. The budget also included $182 million for the ongoing migrant response, as part of an agreement between Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Senator Rose expressed his concerns, saying, "That's an interesting budget." He also believed that the Senate's plan did not do enough to fund direct service providers for individuals with developmental disabilities, stating that "it becomes harder and harder for these providers to find anyone willing to do the job." The proposed budget included a raise of up to $1 per hour for these workers, which fell short of their request for a $3 per hour raise.
Sims defended the Senate's efforts and acknowledged the challenging work done by these service providers, saying, "We understand that they are engaged in immensely challenging services and they are really doing God's work, and we appreciate that." He also emphasized their efforts to provide competitive wages and support to this community.
The budget also allocated $14 million for the newly created Department of Early Childhood and set the salary for the new agency's secretary at $215,000 per year. Despite Mayor Johnson's visit to Springfield earlier this month, the Democrats' budget plan did not change significantly to reflect City Hall's requests, including a $1 billion increase in funding for Chicago Public Schools. However, Sims assured that the budget provided additional assistance for all municipalities across the state, including Chicago. He stated, "There were significant resources...from the changes that we made in terms of the local government package. Just like all municipalities, the city of Chicago would see a significant share of those revenues."
Over the holiday weekend, the Illinois Senate Democrats were working hard to finalize the state's next budget, which closely aligns with Governor J.B. Pritzker's proposals but increases expected spending by $400 million. In addition, the budget includes a 5% pay raise for Senate and House representatives, as well as many top state officials.
Senate President Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, expressed confidence in their progress, stating that they were in close communication with the House and avoiding any surprises. Despite some disagreements among Democrats, the House returned home for the weekend with plans to reconvene after the holiday, setting the stage for final budget approval midweek.
Some notable highlights of the 3,400-page budget include a slight increase in hourly wages for service providers for the developmentally disabled, a more generous child tax credit, and a decision to maintain the annual increase to the state income tax exemption, which would have disproportionately affected lower-income families.
During a hearing on Sunday morning, Senator Elgie Sims, the chief budget negotiator for the Senate Democrats, revealed that the proposed budget would amount to $53.1 billion, $400 million more than Pritzker's initial proposal. The budget prioritizes education, public safety, and addressing homelessness, among other state services.
Not mentioned during the hearing was the inclusion of a 5% pay raise for lawmakers, which would bring the base pay for all members of the General Assembly to $93,712 annually. This raise also applies to the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, comptroller, and treasurer, as well as heads of executive agencies. It's worth noting that Governor Pritzker, who is a billionaire and heir to Hyatt Hotels, does not collect a salary as governor.
In terms of the overall budget, Republican Senator Chapin Rose expressed concerns about the proposed spending, particularly regarding noncitizens receiving healthcare and funds allocated for the migrant crisis in Chicago. The budget includes $182 million for the ongoing migrant response, as agreed upon by Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle earlier this year.
During the hearing, Senator Rose commented, "That's an interesting budget." He also criticized the budget for not adequately funding direct service providers for the developmentally disabled, who are only receiving a $1 per hour raise instead of the $3 per hour they had requested.
In response, Senator Sims emphasized the Senate's efforts to invest in these workers and recognize their important work. He also mentioned the $14 million allocated for the newly created Department of Early Childhood, as well as the salary set for the agency's secretary at $215,000 per year.
Despite Mayor Johnson's visit to Springfield earlier in the month, the budget did not change significantly to reflect his requests, including a $1 billion increase in funding for Chicago Public Schools. However, Senator Sims noted that the budget's tax package includes additional assistance for all municipalities across the state, including Chicago.
He explained, "There were significant resources from the changes that we made in terms of the local government package. Just like all the municipalities, the city of Chicago would see a significant share of those revenues." One of these changes includes a deal to eliminate the 1% statewide grocery tax, which currently supports local governments, starting in 2026.
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