By Greg Halbleib
NORMAL – Area lawmakers agree that despite passage of a new state budget, the work in Springfield is not done.
Four of the legislators addressed the McLean County Chamber of Commerce Legislative Update on various issues this morning at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium Club.
State Representative Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) said with the state in fiscal crisis, the budget-related votes are difficult.
“I wish that I could be everything to all people,” Rep. Brady said. “I wish that I could cast a vote that makes everybody happy. I wish that I could cast a vote that is going to put what you believe are the appropriate dollars back into the line items for the services you provide to the state. I can’t do that.”
Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) said history shows that government-mandated minimum wage increases cost jobs.
“Many businesses cut seasonal workers out of the equation, and really it hurt the economy of Illinois,” Sen. Brady explained. “We saw the largest job loss drop in the state when Rod Blagojevich increased the minimum wage beyond market rates.”
State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) issued a reminder that merely increasing taxes does not solve the state’s financial difficulties if the economy does not attract or keep people here.
“We’re losing population. Those are taxpayers,” Barickman said. “Our economy is not growing. That’s the loss of Mitsubishis replaced with Rivians. It’s happening all around the state. If you don’t have people paying taxes, the money coming into the state declines.”
State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said solving Illinois’ problems requires open dialogue between both political parties, not gamesmanship such as demonstrated by House Speaker Michael Madigan in the case of education funding.
“No one in this room would ever say, ‘Hey, here’s a legitimate budget tactic–let’s hold schoolchildren hostage,'” Rose said. “But that’s where we are. I’ll take Senate President Cullerton at his word that he’s willing to work with us, but those type of tactics from the speaker not only aren’t right, but make it almost impossible to find some sort of consensus.”
The lawmakers agreed that revamping the school funding formula and properly reducing the backlog of state bills are top priorities.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].
