West Central Reporter

Outgoing Illinois House District 74 Rep. Don Moffitt (R-Gilson) responded to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s fiscal year 2017 budget address, delivered Wednesday, and said he hopes state lawmakers can soon end the budget impasse that dates back to July. 

"I hope people are getting the message," Moffitt said. "I thought we should have gotten to some common ground sooner. It just takes a few on each side to agree with the other side to get to some common ground. The governor made it clear he’d like it to be bipartisan."

Moffitt agreed with the governor’s address and said he believes avoiding a deeper deficit is paramount to keeping the government running.

“Of course, today is the beginning of the budgeting process in our state,” Moffitt said. “What is important in this process is to keep our state government running and helping the most vulnerable populations it serves. I especially respected the governor’s position to increase education funding."

Mike DeSutter, a Republican candidate  who hopes to succeed Moffitt, said he agrees with the governor on the importance of reform in solving the state’s financial debacle.

“I agree with the governor that we need to reform how the state of Illinois is run,” DeSutter said. “We need to protect and empower families here in Illinois. I support increasing education spending and government reforms that will grow our economy and our tax dollars.”

DeSutter said he hopes the governor and the state legislature can work together to improve the lives of all Illinois citizens.

In his address, Rauner encouraged lawmakers to work together to make “real reform” that will create jobs and save taxpayers. The Republican governor also told legislators to stop sending spending plans that will be vetoed, stating that more jobs will translate to more people working and, ultimately, lead to more people paying taxes.

Rauner also said he is working on behalf of people who see workers in surrounding states paying less taxes and earning better pay than Illinoisans.

“I’m fighting for those middle-class families every single day,” Rauner said.

Rauner vetoed a spending plan by the Democrat-controlled legislature in July, resulting in spending cuts statewide. Rauner said an unbalanced budget would put “everything on the table” for spending cuts except funding for early childhood education and general aid to schools.

“The longer we go, the deeper the cuts will have to be made in order to try and balance the budget," DeSutter said. "So the quicker the governor and the state legislature can work together to get these things solved and implement some reforms to get the state moving in the right direction, the better.”