On July 1, Governor Pat Quinn announced what he says will amount to approximately $1.4 billion in budget cuts, though Senator Dale Risinger said the cuts are actually in the neighborhood of $155 million—a spending reduction of less than one half of one percent.
Senator Risinger said he is supportive of any plan to scale back state expenditures in the face of a $13 billion budget deficit, but he remains skeptical that Governor Quinn has the resolve to make his proposed cuts. In 2009, the Governor promised to cut $1 billion from the state budget, and even produced a list of cuts that he planned to make. Yet most of those budget reductions were never implemented and, in fact, Governor Quinn managed to overspend by $2 billion and increase Illinois’ backlog of bills from $4 billion to $6 billion.
Though short on specifics, Governor Quinn provided a list of his $155 million in vetoes by agency. He plans to cut spending in many areas of the budget including elementary and high school education, higher education, human services, aging, corrections, health, law enforcement, agriculture and natural resources.
During his mid-morning press conference, Governor Quinn advocated for both a tax increase and additional borrowing as a way to dig Illinois out of its budget quagmire. He also directed state agencies to make substantial spending cuts in areas including travel, transportation, leasing, etc.
Ironically, the same day Governor Quinn announced his budget cuts—while touting his commitment to spending reform and reductions—union employees, who represent almost 90 percent of all state employees under the Governor’s control, received the first of four pay raises they are to receive over the next year.
Just days before the February 2010 primary election, Governor Quinn finalized a union agreement granting workers an 8 percent pay increase during the one-year period between July 1, 2011 and July 1, 2011.
Additionally, though the agreement advanced optional employee furloughs, under the contract negotiated by Governor Quinn, if employees take two furlough days, they then receive a third paid day off.
Senator Risinger said there is a marked difference between cuts made by a governor who wants a tax increase, compared to a governor who is trying to live within the state’s means. Governor Quinn has built two budgets around his belief that taxes must be increased, and consequently has failed to develop clear strategies or policies to reduce the cost and size of state government.
As the state moves forward, Senator Risinger is anxious to see whether Governor Quinn is taking action to manage spending or, once again, build support for his tax increase.
 Several bills were signed into law this week, including legislation targeting bullying in Illinois’ schools.
Episodes of bullying that resulted in serious injury and even death have received national attention, leading school and government officials, parents and students to seek legislation that will stymie bullying practices.
Senate Bill 3266 (PA 96-0952) creates a School Bullying Prevention Task Force that will study the causes and consequences of bullying in schools in an attempt to identify promising anti-bullying programs. The new law also allows schools to teach gang resistance education, and requires school boards to collaborate with state and local police for gang resistant education and training.
Illinois schools are already required to have a bullying policy in place, which must be conveyed to parents and students on an annual basis. The policy must be updated every two years. |
