Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner today vetoed the state budget, sending it back to a Democratic-controlled legislature just six days before the end of the current fiscal year.
The following statements from health care policy experts at The Heartland Institute – a free-market think tank – may be used for attribution. For more comments, refer to the contact information below. To book a Heartland guest on your program, please contact Director of Communications Jim Lakely at [email protected].
“Instead of waking up and acknowledging that the state cannot continue to tax and spend its way out of this financial mess, House Speaker Michael Madigan’s budget would have been a continuation of the failed fiscal policies that have driven businesses and residents from Illinois. Gov. Rauner had no other choice than to veto this unsustainable budget.”
John Nothdurft
Director of Government Relations
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312-377-4000
“Illinois has relied too long on budgets that use smoke and mirrors to mask the state’s financial problems. Gov. Rauner’s stance against House Speaker Michael Madigan’s bloated budget acknowledges the reality that legislators need to start from scratch and craft a budget that accepts the limits of the state’s tax revenue and makes the hard decisions that need to be made. This may mean cuts to programs which may be unpopular, but the state can no longer afford to keep its head stuck in the sand.”
Matthew Glans
Senior Policy Analyst
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312-377-4000
“For too long the state has been generating a backlog of unpaid bills with a debt burden exceeding $100 billion. The remainder of the budget was unsustainable, and doubled down on failed policies that caused Democrats to lose the governor’s office. Rauner’s veto of the budget shows a commitment to bring Illinois back to prosperity by making the state’s tax climate competitive and compassionate.”
MaryAnn McCabe
State Government Relations Manager
The Heartland Institute
[email protected]
312-377-4000
The Heartland Institute is a 31-year-old national nonprofit organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Its mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. For more information, visit our website or call 312/377-4000.