Wait, Winters Announce House Republican Emergency Funding Measure Passage

June 27, 2007

Springfield, IL…State Representative Dave Winters (R-Shirland) and State Representative Ron Wait (R-Belvidere) announced the passage of a 30-Day Emergency Budget that keeps Illinois afloat for another month while budget negotiations continue.  The measure, proposed by House Republican Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) last week, enables Illinois to avoid a government shutdown if the next fiscal year starts on July 1 and no year-long spending plan has been adopted.

“The Democrats in the legislature and the governor’s office have brought Illinois to its knees and left us no prospect of passing a sensible state budget in time,” Winters said.  “It’s not the ideal way to run government, but faced with a shutdown, the House Republicans and I felt we had no choice but to propose and pass an emergency spending plan.”

“Funding our state month-to-month is not the best way to proceed, but it’s better than the alternative of shutting down state government,” Wait said.  “This temporary measure will buy some time for Democrats in the General Assembly and governor’s office to put politics aside and start governing.”

The 30-Day Emergency budget will keep Illinois’ summer road projects on track, employee paychecks in the mail, pension systems afloat, and state-funded caregivers at the bedside of Illinois’ veterans, sick, and elderly.

“We’ve bought a little more time to continue negotiating to pass a responsible and sensible budget that funds Illinois for the next fiscal year,” Winters said.  “The Democrats need to put aside their egos and political games so we can resolve this crisis.  If they can’t come up with their own proposal, they should allow ours to go to a vote.”

Winters, Assistant House Republican Leader, and Wait joined Leader Cross in proposing the House Republican “NO Tax Increase Budget” last month.  The Republican proposal responsibly funds Illinois’ school construction and education needs, transportation and infrastructure projects, pension obligations, and pays past-due assessments owed to hospitals.  Unlike the House Democrats’ budget, which relies on a $300 million tax increase, the House Republican proposal utilizes $720 million in natural revenue growth.

“I didn’t want it to come down to this,” Wait said, “but when I saw that the Democrats’ inaction would lead to a government shutdown, I knew we had to do something to keep Illinois afloat.  My House Republican colleagues and I have been pushing all Spring for a sensible, no tax increase budget, but the Democrats haven’t been able to get their act together.”

“This is just shameful and embarrassing,” Winters said of the Democrats’ inability to coalesce around a sound budget plan, “but I’m not at all surprised.”