Pritzker to give Illinois budget address Wednesday despite major snowstorm

Name: Pritzker to deliver budget address Wednesday despite snow storm
Uploaded: 2022-02-01T16:44:03-06:00
Description: The Illinois General Assembly canceled its three scheduled days of session this week as the central part of the state prepares for a major winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, ice and high wind gusts to the region.

CHICAGO - Snowy weather will keep away the usual overflow crowd of Illinois lawmakers, but Gov. JB Pritzker has decided to deliver his annual budget address anyway Wednesday at noon.

One likely reason he doesn’t want to wait? Pritzker’s proposed 2023 budget is fat with federal COVID-19 relief dollars enabling him to offer targeted, temporary tax breaks.

"It's a billion dollars of tax relief for families across our state," the governor told reporters.

Pritzker's Deputy Governor Andy Manar reportedly said the breaks will include suspension for a year of one percentage point of the sales tax on groceries; and two cents of the gasoline tax, plus a $300 property tax rebate for low- to moderate-income homeowners – all offset by federal COVID relief dollars.

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The suspended gasoline tax increase was intended to pay for Illinois’ current infrastructure program.

"It’s a campaign year," said Ted Dabrowski of conservative-leaning Wirepoints. "(Pritzker’s) got billions of dollars right now for COVID, COVID relief. It looks like he's trying to buy votes."

Pritzker to deliver budget address Wednesday despite snow storm

The Illinois General Assembly canceled its three scheduled days of session this week as the central part of the state prepares for a major winter storm expected to bring heavy snow, ice and high wind gusts to the region.

State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), chief budget negotiator for House Democrats, fired back: "These are Wirepoints talking points…. When you can't find anything to say, you start complaining about political cynicism!"

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Pritzker is also expected to address what’s already emerging as a top campaign issue: the huge increase in deadly violence across the state. Chicago saw killings soar to the highest level in a quarter-century.

"We've rebuilt, and are rebuilding the state police in Illinois to a great degree," Pritzker said in response to a question at an unrelated news conference. "And I’m continuing to look at everything we can do to address a problem like that."

Rep. Harris said he expects the governor to announce more money for education, mental health and other social services.

In another departure from normal procedure, Gov. Pritzker plans to deliver his speech at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. It’s several blocks from the current State Capitol, the usual venue for a budget address.