Peoria Standard

Responding to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s annual budget address, state Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said the governor's proposals would hurt businesses and increase the exodus of jobs and talent from Illinois.

“The governor’s proposed budget does not position Illinois for the kind of economic recovery we need to dig out of our financial mess,” Spain said. “With small and large employers taking a huge hit in the pandemic and resulting emergency shutdown orders from Pritzker, job creators are looking for opportunities to help grow us out of this mess. All they heard from the governor is his plans to stack more of the burden on job creators.”

Instead of raising taxes, the state should focus on increasing jobs and the state’s population, Spain said, pointing to census results that will likely lead to less federal representation for the state.

 “State budgets are a reflection of our values and it is hard to derive from his comments that Gov. Pritzker wants employers to help grow us out of this mess,” Spain said.

He also accused Pritzker of “bitter partisan naming calling and finger pointing” in his budget address.

“For the governor to now characterize Republican legislators in the General Assembly as carnival barkers and fear mongers is an insult to me and my colleagues,” said Spain. “The governor should consider building bridges with elected officials instead of going alone to manage the state through unilateral executive orders.”