SPRINGFIELD, IL – State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) on Wednesday called on Illinois lawmakers to stay in Springfield “as long as it takes” to pass a responsible state budget.
Syverson said he opposed a move by Democratic leaders to push through a budget by the end of the week – a budget that doesn’t even come close to addressing the state’s $13 billion budget deficit.
“The current plan being proposed by the Governor and Democratic leaders is even worse than anything proposed by Rod Blagojevich,” said Syverson, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We have an obligation to the taxpayers of our state to pass a budget that addresses the irresponsible fiscal policies of the past, not compounds them, and lawmakers should stay in Springfield as long as it takes to get it right.”
The Rockford Senator said he was committed to voting against the budget in its current form.
“This plan hinges on billions of dollars of one-time revenues, including more borrowing and more pension raids, and would leave us with a $7 billion deficit and a record number of unpaid bills,” Syverson said. “It will make Illinois less competitive in the short-term, and doom the next generation to paying off tens of billions of dollars of unpaid debt and bills over the long term. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to stop kicking the problem down the road and tackle these challenges head on today.”