Assistant State House minority leader Keith Wheeler, R-Oswego, issued the following statement Sunday, May 24 after the General Assembly voted to approve a State budget for FY 2021:
“While there was an encouraging degree of bipartisan cooperation during the special session when it came to ensuring funding for our hospitals and a business-labor agreement on workers’ compensation and unemployment issues related to COVID-19, when it came time to pass a budget, majority Democrats dug in their heels and shut us out of the final product. Their budget spends roughly $42.8 Billion even though the State only expects to bring in a little under $36.8 Billion, $5 Billion of which comes from additional borrowing. This is reckless and irresponsible.
“Literally millions of Illinois families are suffering financial hardship due to COVID-19, yet Democrats are leaving town without speeding up the process to reopen our economy safely, fixing the broken unemployment system that remains plagued with problems for Illinoisans who need to file for benefits, or providing any meaningful property tax relief. Simply put, the new State budget fails to give a desperately-needed lifeline to families whose jobs have been displaced by COVID-19 and small businesses fighting to salvage their livelihoods.”
Representative Wheeler serves the 50th District, which includes portions of Aurora, Batavia, Geneva, Campton Hills, Elburn, Montgomery, Oswego, Plano, St. Charles, Sugar Grove, and Yorkville.
—Office of State Representative Keith Wheeler