From the Illinois House Republicans…
Finally, Democrats who control the Illinois House are starting to listen to what House Republicans have been saying for years and continue to say: We need to stop spending money we don’t have!
Last week the House unanimously passed HR110 establishing a conservative revenue estimate of $33.2 billion, $2 billion less than Governor Quinn is proposing to spend. To get our state’s fiscal house in order we must start by enacting a truly balanced state budget. Passing HR110 was an important first step.
Now that we have established how much money we can expect, the next step is to develop a plan to pay our bills and meet expenses without exceeding our limit. Today several pieces of legislation establishing a framework for reducing spending and paying down bills advanced in the House:
House Bill 197 sponsored by House Republican Leader Tom Cross, creating the Illinois Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, passed the House Revenue and Finance Committee. The 22 member Commission will make recommendations to assist the State in reducing spending and balancing the budget to improve our long-term fiscal stability. Specific issues the Commission will focus on include: (1) discretionary state spending, (2) state tax reform and simplification, (3) cost containment in publicly-financed health care, (4) mandated reductions in state agency expenditures, (5) changes in state budget and accounting practices, and (6) reforming the actuarial status of state-managed pension systems.
The Commission will make recommendations and file a report with the General Assembly and the Governor within 60 days. If the Commission passes their report by a three-fifths majority, then the General Assembly must vote on it within 14 days.
- HR 161 passed by the House urges the Governor to require Directors and Secretaries of state agencies to provide a report to each legislative caucus with their recommendations to reduce their agencies’ spending 10% for fiscal year 2012.
- HR158 passed by the House Revenue and Finance Committee specifies that any revenue the State receives exceeding the estimate adopted in House Resolution 110, will be directed to pay past due bills.
- HR 156 passed by the House divides up general fund revenues for FY 2012 as follows: 28.742% to Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations; 5.158% to General Services Appropriations; 8.761% to Higher Education Appropriations; 50.361% to Human Services Appropriations; and 6.978% to Public Safety Appropriations.
For years House Republicans drove the discussion on the need to rein-in spending and live within our means. The fact that these measures passed the House with strong bi-partisan support is a hopeful sign that some House Democrats are ready to join us in passing a responsible, balanced budget.