Senator Jil Tracy released the following statement after Governor J. B. Pritzker delivered his second Budget Address to a joint session of legislators February 19 in the House of Representatives.

“The budget Governor Pritzker presented today is a starting point, and much of what we heard was not unexpected. The Governor is proposing $1.68 billion in new spending, but did not talk much about any of the cuts he asked agencies to provide. His plan requires a huge tax increase to implement. Now, we need to get into the details and begin to ask the tough questions.

Any spending plan will have its supporters and its opponents, but to succeed it will require good-faith negotiations. I believe bipartisan solutions are key to our state’s problems. Last year, we were able to craft a budget – with no new taxes. We can do it again.”

As the legislative budget process gets under way, Tracy says she stands ready to work with his fellow lawmakers to make the tough decisions necessary to pass a balanced budget with structural reforms that will boost the economy and jobs.

Fiscal Year 2021 runs from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.