Illinois House of Representatives overrides veto, passes budget

On July 6, the Illinois House of Representatives overrode Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto to pass a state budget. Illinois organizations had this to say:

Greg Baise, president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, said in a news release:

“Illinois lawmakers ignored reality today and drove another nail in the coffin of job creators. Imposing a $5 billion tax hike on Illinois families and businesses without addressing the root causes of our stagnant economic growth is a recipe for disaster and will only hasten the further loss of Illinois' middle class. The General Assembly refuses to recognize the lasting damage they are causing our economy by failing to address Illinois' downward spiral. Our members are frustrated and angry today because of the abject failure to help make Illinois more attractive for job creators. Higher taxes and additional regulations such as a minimum wage hike and paid leave will not create jobs or help grow the economy.”

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said in a news release:

“This is not a time to rejoice. Today only brings us a bit of relief, but it is a step in the right direction to put Illinois back on track.The courage shown by several Republican members of the Illinois General Assembly is commendable. My hope is that the bipartisanship of these last few days will continue. The governor’s failure to lead will be felt in Illinois for decades to come. It is hard to determine how long it will take for our universities, social service agencies and businesses to recover. Today, we must acknowledge that these were self-inflicted wounds and commit that we never again will put politics above people.”

State Rep. Steve Andersson, R-Geneva, said in a news release:

“My decision today rests on the difference between ‘might’ and ‘will.’ If we don’t vote to override the governor’s veto, the state will fail. If we vote to override, we might still be downgraded, but it is the far better option of the two.”

Rauner said this on Facebook:

“Today was another step in Illinois’ never-ending tragic trail of tax hikes. Speaker [Mike] Madigan’s 32 percent permanent income tax increase will force another tax hike in the near future. His tax-and-spend plan is not balanced, does not cut enough spending or pay down enough debt, and does not help grow jobs or restore confidence in government. It proves how desperately we need real property tax relief and term limits. Now more than ever, the people of Illinois must fight for change that will help us create a brighter future.”