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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and leadership in the General Assembly have announced an agreement on a balanced-budget for fiscal year 2024.
Lawmakers announced the agreement prior to a press conference in Springfield Wednesday, with Pritzker lauding members of the General Assembly for a budget he says is balanced for a fifth-straight year.
“From the beginning, I vowed to work with the General Assembly to bring fiscal sanity to Illinois while restoring a compassionate state government that invests in the things that build a stronger economy and future,” he said in a statement. “From violence prevention, higher education and K-12 funding, and filling teacher vacancies, to more workforce development and enhanced behavioral health services, this budget makes historic investments that will benefit our state for years to come.”
Illinois Republicans criticized the budget as a one-sided agreement that focuses too much on taxation.
“Governor Pritzker and Illinois Democrats can twist words with the best of them, but the truth is that this budget constitutes a partisan wishlist, not a negotiation,” GOP Chairman Don Tracy said. “With complete control of government, Illinois Democrats continue to tax and spend, with Illinois ranking at the top of every metric of tax burden on residents and driving away families year over year.”
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