Comptroller Mendoza salutes continued cautious and responsible approach in proposed state budget

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza offered this response to Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed state budget: 

“This cautious and responsible budget proposal will continue to bring stability and predictability to Illinois finances, building on the work we have done paying down the state’s bills and building up the state’s Rainy Day Fund.  

This proposal continues to keep promises to our schools and students by again increasing funding for K-12 and early childhood education. 

It continues the progress of restoring state agencies, which were recklessly hollowed out by the previous administration, to the staffing levels needed to provide critical services to the people of Illinois, and it makes needed commitments to public safety, seniors, and children. 

But this proposal does not spend recklessly. It keeps spending at responsible levels while making investments in our future. 

I’m excited about the proposal to increase the pension funding plan from 90% to 100%. This is something the credit rating agencies support to make sure pensions are fully funded, and will benefit taxpayers, not only by reducing the state’s unfunded pension debt sooner, which is something I continue to work on, but also by – hopefully – leading to more credit upgrades for the state. 

I’m glad the governor highlighted the amazing progress made in eliminating the nearly $17 billion bill backlog accrued during the previous administration to an accounts payable. My team at the IOC continues to manage the state’s bills strategically to maximize federal matching funds, pay state vendors for their services faster than the private sector, and keep the state’s bills at a manageable level. 

I was very happy to hear the governor speak about his plan to stop insurance companies from gouging consumers. 

Governor Pritzker addressed our duty as Illinoisans to meet the manufactured refugee crisis sent here by the governor of Texas. Yesterday my office launched a transparency portal that tracks all the money we are spending to accommodate the asylum-seekers. https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/financial-reports-data/data-sets-portals/chartsgraphs/asylum-seekers

I wholeheartedly support Gov. Pritzker’s vow not to sign a budget that diminishes the state’s credit rating. 

 

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