West Central Reporter

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State and Budget Address, given Wednesday, added up to more fiscal irresponsibility for state Rep. Travis Weaver (R-Edwards).

“I think that my biggest takeaway from this address is we now know what happens when the bailouts bottom out,” Weaver said in a video he posted. “We don't have $1.4 billion that the federal government gave us last year, however the government is proposing $2.75 billion in new ongoing operational spending that's $4 billion that we're going to be incurring every single year and passing on to our kids.” 

He said the speech was devoid of any solutions on how the state will address its economic challenges, and he said he’s committed to representing the people by fighting profligate spending.

"I'll continue to stay down here and fight for you until we get our spending in check so that we're not kicking the burden to our kids,” he said on Facebook, where he included a link to his YouTube video. 

He said the current situation is burdening state residents with an array of ancillary economic challenges.

"The state of Illinois has the highest unemployment rate in the country,” Weaver said. “We’ve got to attract new job creators to Illinois, and the only way that we're going to do that is by lowering our property taxes, our income taxes, and our sales taxes. We all know that every single dollar spent is at some point a dollar taxed, and if it's spent with debt, then it's taxed with interest. Until we tighten the belt and get our spending in line we're never going to be able to bring down our taxes.”

In the State of the State address, Pritzker touted fiscal progress.

”What was once an Illinois with $17 billion in overdue bills is now an Illinois that pays its bills on time,” Pritzker said, as reported by WQAD. “What was once an Illinois that went years without a budget is now an Illinois that has passed four balanced budgets in a row. What was once a state with no cushion to protect it in an economic downturn is now an Illinois on track to have a $2.3 billion Rainy Day Fund. What was once an Illinois with a credit rating on the verge of junk status is now an Illinois getting credit upgrades.” 

He went on to cite how the state has paid down education debt, health insurance debt, unemployment fund debt and more. 

He also spoke about Smart Start Illinois, a program that has four elements: pre-K, childcare, early intervention, and home visiting. The four-year program will increase the state's funding for the Early Childhood Block Grant Program by $75 million, Pritzker said.

Weaver assumed office on Jan. 11, representing the 93rd District. He lives in Edwards, near his family farm in Peoria. He worked in finance and strategy roles at Caterpillar while investing in and playing an executive role in various local startup businesses.