Shelbyville – This afternoon, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave his annual State of the State / Budget Address. State Representative Brad Halbrook issued the following statement in response:
It is fitting that the Governor delivered his budget address on Feb 2, Groundhog Day. Two weeks to “flatten the curve” have rolled into 23 months of unilateral emergency orders that haven’t done a thing to stop the spread. In fact, Illinois has more deaths from COVID than almost any other state. Now he’s talking about vaccinating your babies with a drug that doesn’t prevent them from getting the virus.
Fiscally, Governor Pritzker’s dog and pony show was an attempt to cover up the fact that families and businesses are fleeing the state at a record pace.
Rather than addressing the state’s need for structural reforms that would create security and relief for Illinoisans, the governor rolled out a series of budget gimmicks including temporary tax cuts and property tax rebates. Must be an election year. Rather than trying to distract the people of this state, leaders need to level with them. We have taken no serious steps to address the major drivers of the state’s fiscal crisis – which include the pension system and Medicaid. Until we do that, Pritzker’s gimmicks will only delay the inevitable.
Our economy has lost $31.4 billion due to population loss. He offered no plan to address that deficit.
Over 250,000 jobs in Illinois were lost to Covid lockdowns, shut downs, mandates and regulations. He offered no plan to bring those jobs back to the state.
Illinois’ credit rating is the lowest in the nation. And yet, to hear Governor Pritzker talk about it today, you would think the state is well-positioned. That just isn’t true. Our credit rating was upgraded due to an influx of federal Covid relief money, not anything that Governor Pritzker did.
Violent crime has sky-rocketed in Chicago and across Illinois. Illinoisans are not safer today than they were 4 years ago. And they can feel it.
Illinoisans are tired of the lies. They need leaders who understand the lives they are trying to build for themselves and their families, not a tyrant who asks you to believe him and not your “lyin’ eyes.” Enough is enough.
