Metro East Sun

Although tough to do, cutting the overall state budget through local government and higher education must be done, according to three Republican senators.

Hans Zigmund, Gov. Bruce Rauner's Office of Management and Budget director, discussed the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) and cost savings to Illinois through the higher education system at the May 16 Senate Appropriations I & II Committee hearing, which brought up questions by three GOP senators. 

Zigmund began the hearing proposing a 90 percent prorated allocation to the LGFD and to downstate and public transit funds, equaling $131 million for the LGFD and $62 million for downstate and public transit.

For higher education, the governor’s introduced budget proposes a $105 million cost shifting of the university health insurance program as subsidized by the state.

The idea was nothing new to Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon), who said he proposed a similar budget, but under different circumstances.

“The time periods were more reasonable for people to recover to a new way of doing things,” McCarter said.

Unlike his GOP peers, McCarter said a cost shift could work.

“Unfortunately, and politically, mostly people from my side of the aisle have immediately responded to a cost shift as a tax increase,” McCarter said.

And it very well could be, he added before asking Zigmund what the state will offer employees in return.

“And how do we assure them if we make this change, whatever you give them in return the legislator is not going to take away next year?” McCarter asked.

Zigmund said they cannot assure with certainty, but if they develop and implement good policy in an agreeable way, promises made will not be undone.

Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon) pointed out Illinois Municipal League Executive Director Brad Cole in the crowd, noting surely he would not like the idea of cutting funds to local government.

“I really doubt that there will be anyone on this panel who will challenge him on the notion that we really, really desire to take away the money from the municipalities,” Righter said.

But the budget must be balanced, he added.

Before speaking to Zigmund, Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) indirectly spoke to Sen. Michael Hastings (D-Frankfort), who continually repeated to Zigmund “your governor’s budget,” when questioning him.

Using air quotes, Rose started saying “your governor’s proposal as the term was thrown across you was really what just happened last year in the budget that the majority voted for.”

“Is that correct,” Rose added.

Zigmund said Rose was right.

“Just to be clear, anybody who is worried about their mayors back home should have been just as worried last year before they voted for it,” Rose said.

“I would imagine so,” Zigmund said.