State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) released the following statement in response to the Governor’s Budget Address:
“I appreciate that the Governor somewhat recognized the need to get our fiscal house in order as well as the need to provide financial relief to our taxpayers. However, the people of our state need more than his one-year, election gimmick relief proposals. They deserve a permanent tax relief plan that helps them keep up with inflation at the grocery store and ballooning property taxes.
“Additionally, while I completely agree that we must provide relief for skyrocketing gas prices, I have concerns about his backdoor attempt to take critical funds away from our motor fuel lockbox and desperately needed construction projects. Our Caucus’ recently announced proposal offers up a better solution that not only helps alleviate Illinoisans’ burden at the pump by cutting sales tax on gasoline but injects more funding into our lockbox.
“I truly hope that the Governor was sincere when he said he would allow ‘grown ups’ to be at the negotiating table because if he was, he has no choice but to fairly and honestly consider our tax relief plan.”