![WITH PODCAST: Pritzker says balanced budget, ‘big things’ remain priority ahead of second term WITH PODCAST: Pritzker says balanced budget, ‘big things’ remain priority ahead of second term](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/img-gov-day-05131-3yaT1M-1024x682.jpeg)
WITH PODCAST: Pritzker says balanced budget, ‘big things’ remain priority ahead of second term
By JERRY NOWICKI
Capitol News Illinois
jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Inflation, crime, pandemic response, abortion rights and Donald Trump are all set to be major issues in the 2022 race for Illinois governor, if the winning candidates’ election night speeches are any guide.
“(Gov. JB) Pritzker doesn’t understand how skyrocketing gas prices and soaring food prices make everyday life harder for Illinois families like you and I,” Darren Bailey, the Republican nominee for governor, said in an election night victory speech.
A farmer and state senator from downstate Xenia who acknowledged to the Chicago Sun-Times this week that he is a millionaire, Bailey received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump and coasted to an election night victory with 57 percent of the vote, compared to about 15 percent for each of the next two closest competitors.
“He doesn’t understand how his and Joe Biden’s extreme national agenda helps fuel inflation and increases utility bills for families like us across Illinois,” Bailey added of the governor. “He doesn’t understand the damage that his lockdowns did to small businesses, schools, mental health and working families all across this state. He doesn’t understand that his war on police has fueled the war on our streets, making our neighborhoods dangerous all across this state.”
Bailey also said in his speech that he entered politics because he was displeased with his local representatives’ votes to end a historic two-year budget impasse in 2017 by raising the income tax rate to 4.95 percent, a level slightly lower than it was when the impasse began two years prior.
The income tax vote was part of the budget package that saw Democrats and Republicans come together to override the veto of former Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Pritzker, meanwhile, considers it part of his first-term legacy that Illinois has left the politics of the impasse behind it and taken strides to balance the budget each year and pay down old debt.
The governor sat for an interview with Capitol News Illinois Thursday amid a two-day blitz in which he spoke with political reporters from across the state.
He said fiscal prudence – along with pandemic-era revenue spikes that were seen nationwide for many reasons – allowed him and lawmakers to pass $1.8 billion in tax relief this budget year, some of which took effect July 1.
It included a one-year suspension of the 1 percent grocery tax, a six-month delay on a 2-cent motor fuel tax hike, a 10-day partial sales tax holiday on back-to-school items from Aug. 5-14, a permanent expansion of the earned income tax credit, an additional $300 in property tax credit, and direct payments to Illinoisans at $50 per person and $100 per dependent child.
“Those are all things that we Democrats did and were able to do because Democrats balanced the budget, Democrats eliminated the bill backlog, Democrats got the credit upgrades for the state,” he said, referring to double upgrades the state has received from the three New York bond rating agencies in the past year.
“You can’t do any of those items of tax relief if you don’t have the dollars to do it,” he added. “And we had surpluses and what did we do? We provided relief to working family. And we’re gonna look to do that going forward. I might add, if you keep on the path that Democrats have set, that I’ve set, balancing budgets and having surpluses, we can do much more.”
He said he’s hopeful to continue balancing the books even though the state expects revenues to slow as pandemic-driven spikes normalize.
Pritzker touted the state’s use of unexpected revenues for one-time purposes, such as putting $1 billion in the budget stabilization fund, funding pensions $500 million above what is required in law and paying down old health insurance bills amounting to about $900 million.
He also noted the state has, under his watch, increased investments in the Illinois State Police, crime labs, expressway cameras, and youth violence intervention programs.
The one-term incumbent who unseated Rauner with a 16-point victory in 2018 also touched on his spending in the Republican primary in recent months.
While he spent money through his own campaign committee, the Democratic Party of Illinois and the Democratic Governors Association to knock Bailey’s chief primary rival, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, he downplayed the role his money played in that election.
Irvin’s camp has pegged the combined spending of those entities in the GOP primary at roughly $36 million.
“My message is a general election message against all of the Republicans,” he said. “You know, we had messages about the candidate who was talking about corruption in Illinois, when he himself was involved in corruption. We had messages about the candidate who is truly extreme on every issue, including choice. And, you know, we’re fighting the Republicans, this is about Democrats beating Republicans.”
In the coming days, Pritzker said he will call lawmakers back to Springfield for a special session to secure abortion rights, which could include increasing the number of medical professionals who can perform abortions. It will not include providing state aid for people traveling to Illinois to receive an abortion, he said.
In terms of a second-term agenda, Pritzker said continuing the fiscal practices of his first term, as well as increasing subsidies for education and child care are among his priorities.
“But I think that looking back at my first term in office, gives you an idea that we’re gonna get more big things done, and they’re going to be about lifting up working families,” he said.
You can listen to the full episode of Capitol Cast here.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
![regional palos heights fatal crash An Alsip teenager was killed and six people hospitalized after a horrific collision December 27 near Ridgeland Avenue and Route 83 in Palos Heights. (Photo courtesy of Palos Heights Police Department)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/regional-palos-heights-fatal-crash-1024x680.jpg)
Teen driver charged in crash that killed Alsip girl
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A juvenile was charged by Palos Heights police Monday with reckless homicide and reckless driving in the December 27 crash that killed a 14-year-old girl from Alsip and injured six other people. Palos Heights police did not identify the juvenile because of the driver’s age. The driver was charged with…
![CRRNH_StSymLetUsGrow_020222 CRRNH_StSymLetUsGrow_020222](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CRRNH_StSymLetUsGrow_020222.jpg)
Let us grow, let us grow, let us grow
Spread the love The weather outside may be frightful, but the learning at St. Sym’s is delightful, is the message implied in a bulletin board designed by third grader Olivia Hernandez. School officials said Olivia was given the opportunity to design the bulletin board as a reward for the kindness she shows at school. Catholic…
![joanhadac Joan Hadac](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/joanhadac.jpg)
Cold weather, warm hearts
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. Welcome to February, the shortest month of the year, jam-packed with holidays like Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday–which are usually bundled together into Presidents Day–Groundhog Day, Mardi Gras, Ash Wednesday and Super Bowl Sunday. (Some of us just check…
![State to distribute $94 million to 96 airports through Rebuild Illinois plan State to distribute $94 million to 96 airports through Rebuild Illinois plan](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/img-PRITZKER-AIRPORT6-C9YjfQ-1024x535.png)
‘Once in a lifetime’ funding coming
Spread the loveGov’t. invites biz owners, non-profits to apply From staff reports Local business owners and community-based non-profit leaders are invited to attend an online meeting designed to raise awareness of the American Rescue Plan Act and other economic recovery funding opportunities, and better understand what they need to do to be eligible for these opportunities. Dubbed…
![CPD Chicago Police Department](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2013-04-02-at-3.28.02-PM.png)
Crime fighters will meet
Spread the loveBy Tim Hadac Residents of Police Beat 812 (Clearing, west of Central Avenue) are invited to attend their next CAPS meeting, set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9. The meeting will be held via Zoom in a webinar format. To obtain instructions and passcodes, call the Chicago Lawn (8th) District CAPS Office at…
![KENDALL COYNE SCHOFIELD Palos Heights native Kendall Coyne Schofield and her husband, Michael Schofield, are co-sponsoring a new park in town. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/KENDALL-COYNE-SCHOFIELD-1024x939.jpg)
Planned park in Palos Heights will have Olympic theme
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva The Misty Meadows subdivision in Palos Heights is getting a new park and it will be partially funded by a pair of famous local athletes. Plus, it will have an ice rink and an Olympic theme. NFL player Michael Schofield and his Olympic hockey gold- and silver-medal-winning wife, Kendall Coyne…
![dog-outside-cold-weather-433739 dog-outside-cold-weather-433739](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/dog-outside-cold-weather-433739.jpg)
Cook County Animal and Rabies Control offers pet safety tips
Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. Cold weather creates hazardous conditions for residents and their pets. The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control reminds residents to take special precautions to keep…
![car weather safety kit car weather safety kit](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/car-weather-safety-kit.jpg)
Winter storm could bring heavy snowfall
Spread the loveParts of Cook County could see up to 12 inches of snow over the next day as a winter storm moves across the area starting tonight. The county’s Department of Transportation and Highways is monitoring conditions and has resources on standby to keep the 1,500 lane miles the county maintains, safe for drivers.…
Neighbors
![SRP-IMAGE-Logo SRP-IMAGE-Logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SRP-IMAGE-Logo-1024x560.png)
Mount Carmel, Marist and Oak Lawn among 84 teams at Riverside-Brookfield shootout
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent High school boys basketball does not stop in March and pick back up in late autumn. For many players, playing hoops is a year-round commitment. AAU ball is a big reason for, that there are summer camps, shootouts or other events at most schools during the summer. The…
![PeggyZabicki Peggy Zabicki](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PeggyZabicki-1024x768.jpg)
Dog lovers to celebrate ‘Fur of July’
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . I’m starting out with some fun news. The West Lawn Dog Park Advisory Council will be hosting a Fur of July Pet Parade on Saturday, June 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at West Lawn…
![MaryStanek Mary Stanek](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/MaryStanek-768x1024.jpg)
Fourth of July not happy for everyone
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Happy Fourth of July. Cannot believe I am already saying that, time sure goes. Hope it is safe and quiet for everyone and especially all of our house pets. For us its shutting…
![kathyheadley2021 Kathy Headley](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/kathyheadley2021-869x1024.jpg)
St. Rita’s transformation is worth a look
Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . St. Rita of Cascia Church, 63rd and Fairfield, continues to undergo its transformation from the sunflowery/harvest golds and browns of the 1960s and 1970s to the calming pastels of the 2000s. Since the basilica-style church…
![NAEHER Alyssa Naeher clears a ball at North Carolina on June 23 in a 3-1 Red Stars loss. IMAGN photo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/NAEHER-1024x712.jpg)
Loss to Courage brings Red Stars’ winless streak to five games
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars historic start to the season is all but forgotten. In the last five matches, the Red Stars have failed to win, with the latest setback being a 3-1 loss on the road to North Carolina on June 23 in an NWSL battle. The Red Stars…
![SRP-IMAGE-Logo SRP-IMAGE-Logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SRP-IMAGE-Logo-1024x560.png)
Summer League Basketball | Illinois powers compete at Riverside-Brookfield Shootout
Spread the loveBy Xavier Sanchez Correspondent School’s out for the summer, but high school athletes across Illinois are remaining active during the summer sports season. This includes basketball players, who can be found at camps, open gyms, camps and even weekend tournaments. Among the more high profile hoops action in the area was the Riverside-Brookfield…
![Dana RETTKE Dana Rettke, a graduate of Riverside-Brookfield High School, will play on the U.S. women's volleyball team at the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris.](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/RETTKE.jpg)
Dana Rettke and Ryan Murphy heading to Paris Summer Games
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area fans of the Summer Olympics will have extra reasons to cheer athletes from the United States in the upcoming Paris Games. Dana Rettke of Riverside is a member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team and Palos Heights native Ryan Murphy will represent the country in swimming. Rettke, a…
![kathyheadley2021 Kathy Headley](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/kathyheadley2021-869x1024.jpg)
Hope Church feeds the hungry at Marquette Park
Spread the love. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Last week on the way to our CAPS meeting at the Marquette Park Fieldhouse, I stopped in at the Tuesday Community Dinner hosted by Hope Church every week in the auditorium. Pastors Ben and Jordyn…
![dvn 6-16-24 Hadi Isbaih Hadi Isbaih](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dvn-6-16-24-Hadi-Isbaih.jpg)
Palos Heights tax preparer convicted of Covid-relief fraud
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A Palos Heights tax preparer who operates a business in Bridgeview has been convicted on federal charges for fraudulently assisting customers in obtaining loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on June 10 convicted Hadi Isbaih, 42, on all…
![1 An artist's renderings of what the renovated Fine Arts Center will look like at Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights. (Supplied photos)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1-3-1024x576.jpg)
Renovations begin on Shepard High School theater
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Shepard High School, which prides itself in the fine arts, will soon have a beautifully reconstructed theater right on its Palos Heights campus. The Community High School District 218 Board of Education recently unanimously approved funding for the renovation of the Fine Arts Center at the high school at 13049…