Minority Leader Brady sees a very tough year trying to balance the state’s budget

Posted on January 19, 2018
Bill Brady
State Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, in his role as Senate Minority Leader, said one of the GOP’s top priorities this year is to balance the state’s budget. (WJBC file photo)

 

By Howard Packowitz

BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois Senate’s top Republican, Bloomington’s Bill Brady, expects a very difficult first full year as Senate Minority Leader.

Brady said it won’t be easy in 2018 to balance the budget. GOP leaders say last year’s spending plan ran a $1.5 billion dollar despite record tax increases.

Without major changes to the way Illinois government runs, Brady said the deficit will grow to $3 billion.

“The problem we have is our revenues have not grown at the rate they should through natural revenue growth and job creation because we haven’t done the necessary things other states have done to create jobs,” Brady told WJBC’s Sam Wood.

Brady said gambling expansion might be one of the easiest ways to raise revenue to help rebuild Illinois infrastructure.

Brady reiterated his support for Gov. Bruce Rauner, who faces a Republican primary challenge from State Rep. Jeanne Ives.

Brady credits the Governor’s leadership in replacing an “archaic” school funding formula, which state government had been trying to do for decades.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]

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