Report From Springfield By Representative Tryon

Governor Pat Quinn presented a Fiscal Year 2014 budget address on Wednesday which calls for an increase in spending that is almost double the amount of additional revenue that is expected to come in next year.

The day prior to the Governor's speech, members of the House approved resolutions that set the spending ceiling for Fiscal Year 2014 at $35.081 billion. The revenue estimate is used during the House’ budget process as a maximum spending limit. It was stated as the resolutions were discussed that any spending number the Governor presented that was above $35.081 billion would put him in direct conflict with the House. In spite of those comments, Governor Quinn presented a spending plan that exceeds our resolved spending limit by $500 million, and increases State spending by $1.9 billion. The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has told us that our revenues will only grow by $1 billion next year.

Once again, Governor Quinn is trying to pressure lawmakers into approving higher spending by proposing painful cuts to our state’s schools. Quinn has proposed cutting K-12 Education by $300 million and Higher Education by $50 million. Specifically, he has proposed a regular and vocational transportation reduction of $145.6 million and a General State Aid reduction of $150.4 million. He has proposed keeping funding for early childhood education programs level. The proposed education cuts target transportation funding and state aid primarily for downstate and suburban school districts.

I was especially disappointed Wednesday to hear about the Governor’s plans for a massive expansion of Medicaid, an optional component of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Governor Quinn wants to implement this massive Medicaid expansion just one year after legislators worked very hard to downsize our Medicaid program to rein in out-of-control costs. His administration has yet to fully implement the reforms the General Assembly approved last year, and now it appears he is charging ahead with an expansion that is not required and that we simply cannot afford.

Keep in mind that the Governor’s budget address includes a suggested spending plan. Legislators in the House and Senate set the appropriation levels for the different parts of the budget in bills that go to the Governor for ultimate approval. There will be difficult decisions made as we begin the process of setting the appropriation levels for Fiscal Year 2014.