The budget bill (SB250) and the budget implementation bill (HB3817) were considered by the House after midnight on Saturday, with the implementation bill being addressed first.
The Illinois House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing a new state budget for Fiscal Year 2024
Following an hour of floor debate, HB3817 was approved with a vote of 73-38. Soon after, lawmakers took up the budget bill at 1:20 a.m., and it passed with the same vote of 73-38 at 2:35 a.m. This outcome came after House Republican leaders expressed their opposition to the introduced budget during a press conference held on Friday afternoon.
Republicans in the House, similar to their Senate counterparts, raised concerns about the budget’s failure to include an extension of the Invest in Kids program, which offers school scholarships to low-income families. Additionally, many GOP members questioned the allocation of funds to municipalities through the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF). The LGDF comprises a portion of the state income tax that is given to municipalities instead of them levying a separate income tax.
Municipalities received 10 percent of the collected state income tax through the LGDF, but the rate was lowered in 2011 and 2017
While the new budget includes a slight increase in the rate from 6.1 percent to 6.4 percent, Republicans argued that it should be restored to the original 10 percent. Democrats defended the current rate increase, stating that a return to 10 percent this year would not be financially sustainable.
The approved state budget also entails investments in education, such as the governor’s Smart Start Program and increased funding for higher education. It includes a $2.50-per-hour raise for disability service providers and a pay raise for lawmakers in the General Assembly.
Before taking effect on July 1st, the $50 billion budget still requires the signature of Governor JB Pritzker. Shortly after the vote on the House floor, Governor Pritzker released a statement praising lawmakers for their efforts on the new budget. Both the House and the Senate have now adjourned for the summer.
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