Civic Federation Offers “Painful, but Necessary” Solutions to Illinois Budget Crisis
Via WTTW
As lawmakers and stakeholders await Gov. Bruce Rauner’s budget proposal next week, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation has released a five-year roadmap that it says will stabilize state finances and protect government services.
The group says its plan will eliminate the state’s unpaid bills by Fiscal Year 2020 and make sure state budgets are balanced. (However, paying off all of Illinois’ bills is contingent on the state’s pension reform law surviving a state Supreme Court review – more on that later.) Among other things, the 56-page plan calls for holding down state spending growth, increasing the income tax rate, taxing some retirement income and services, and temporarily removing the sales tax exemption for food and non-prescription drugs.
Back