Durkin calls for a truly balanced budget

Posted on February 19, 2020
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) PHOTO:Dave Dahl

 

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD– When Gov. JB Pritzker gives his budget address today, a top Republican is hoping for a repeat.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) says to look ahead, you can take a lesson from the recent past.

“Through a bipartisan agreement in both chambers, we were able to craft a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2020,” Durkin said of the twelve months ending June 30. “Give-and-take. Negotiations. More importantly, inclusiveness, and that resulted in a positive outcome for all of Illinois.

“That’s how we got it done.”

Durkin took a shot at Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax by saying a balanced budget should not rely on “hypothetical revenues.” The question of changing Illinois from a flat tax to what Pritzker calls a “fair tax” is on the ballot this November for all of Illinois.

The run-up to today’s address has included Pritzker’s intent to pump $147 million more into DCFS. Durkin said he’s willing to examine that idea but said it will take more than money to fix the troubled child welfare agency.

The state has been spending roughly $40 billion per year.

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