Two roads diverge in the General Assembly, Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon), wrote in a recent posting: the high-tax path and the road to “restraint and responsibility.”
“The Legislature can fail to act and let those running for higher office fight it out," McCarter wrote. "We can allow the political dueling with Speaker Madigan to continue and see who comes out on top. If we do either of these, a lot of people will suffer under punishing new and/or higher taxes."
The alternative, he said, is to adopt the Taxpayer Bargain budget plan, introduced in April by McCarter and Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). The plan includes spending cuts, an enforceable spending cap tied to income and legislator accountability, while maintaining funding for priorities such as education, human services and Medicaid.
Sen. Kyle McCarter
McCarter said the "grand bargain” budget proposal currently under consideration is not a solution to the state’s fiscal troubles.
“I am opposed mainly because it has a $7 billion punishing tax increase attached to it, with very little spending discipline," he said. "Plus it only gives us a one-year reprieve from the current fiscal crisis."
Legislators have until the end of May to adopt a state budget in regular session.
“The deadline is May 31 to avoid an overtime session fraught with political considerations that make an agreement less likely,” McCarter said. “Illinois government has been without a balanced state budget for two years. We need to do our jobs and uphold our oath of office.”
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