West Central Reporter

Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) is having an "I told you so moment" as it appears a report from a nonprofit confirms what Republicans had been warning us about the new state budget.

“A warning by Senate Republicans in recent months that Illinois’ new budget is careless as it uses one-time COVID-19 revenues to increase long-term state spending is supported in a new report by an organization that promotes responsible government spending,” Tracy (R-Quincy) posted in her Week in Review report on her web page.

The review points to a report by the Volcker Alliance that said the state's reliance on federal COVID funding will bring trouble.

"Fiscal sustainability is especially important in the context of SLFRF (Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds), because the program provides appropriations that must be obligated (a term indicating a binding agreement for outlays) by December 31, 2024, and spent by December 31, 2026. States that may be using these funds to finance recurring costs, including California, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, could encounter so-called fiscal cliffs when the federal money is no longer available," the report said.

Democratic lawmakers see the budget differently.

“This budget continues us down the path of financial surety, invests in critical resources like public safety and human services, and helps ease the burden of inflation for families with $1.8 billion in tax relief,” House Speaker Emanuel Welch (D-Westchester) said in a release. “This is what financial responsibility looks like, and fiscal watchdogs agree. I'm proud of the work that went into this budget and grateful to see Governor Pritzker sign it into law today.”

In May, Tracy joined Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) calling for an alternative to the gas tax freeze. Syverson then called on the General Assembly and the Pritzker Administration to immediately take action to cap the state’s sales tax on motor fuel at 18 cents per gallon, which is more in line with what consumers were paying last fall before prices started to climb dramatically.

Syverson says the General Assembly should reconvene for a special session to repeal the governor’s two-cent tax break and pass Senate Bill 4195, which, according to Syverson, "provides substantially more savings and relief to motorists and prevents state government from receiving a windfall of cash it was never expecting."

“Instead of providing consideration for SB 4195 this spring, Gov. Pritzker and Democrat legislators had something else in mind, however, and passed a law that will simply delay an automatic two-cent increase to the state’s Motor Fuel Tax until after the election in January 2023 instead of in July 2022,” Syverson said on his website.

As of June 1, AAA reported that the average gas prices are $4.671 a gallon nationally and $5.131 in Illinois.