By Joe Ragusa
BLOOMINGTON – Illinois is likely heading into the new year – which marks the halfway point of the state’s fiscal year – without a budget.
“We need to get a budget. It’s hurting everybody and it doesn’t need to be this way, it just doesn’t,” State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) said.
Bennett said there hasn’t been much movement between democrats and republicans since the fiscal year began July 1.
“One side wants to have more revenue and more taxes, the other side wants to have some very serious financial reforms to help Illinois move forward,” Bennett said.
Bennett said he’s hopeful that a budget will be passed in January, after the threshold to pass a bill in the legislature lowers from a three-fifths majority to a simple majority. He said he expects House Speaker Mike Madigan to call a bill that would raise Illinois’ state income tax back to five percent.
Joe Ragusa can be reached at joe.ragusa@cumulus.com.
