Deputy Republican Leader Norine Hammond, the chief budgeteer for the House Republican Caucus, issued the following statement upon passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 Illinois State Budget:
“Once again, Illinois Democrats have crafted a partisan budget behind closed doors, passed after midnight at the beginning of Memorial Day weekend. This budget spends a near-record $50.6 billion on a slew of progressive causes, including health benefits for undocumented immigrants, taxpayer-funded abortion, soft-on-crime, anti-police laws, and pay raises for politicians. This budget does not reflect our shared priorities.
“Despite their statements to the contrary, the budget passed by the majority Democrats is not balanced. It relies on a series of fiscal fabrications and schemes, such as only funding half-a-year’s-worth of Medicaid costs and shifting $700 million from local government funds into the State’s General Revenue Fund.
“The Democrats continue to overtax, overspend and under-deliver for hardworking Illinoisans. This is not Republican money. This is not Democratic money. This money belongs to the taxpayers of Illinois and they deserve better.”