Senate Leader Radogno addresses the City Club
Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) discussed the challenges facing Illinois during her address at the City Club of Chicago on Jan. 11. Despite the state’s seven-month budget impasse, Democrat majority legislative leaders are failing to negotiate on much-needed reforms and are cancelling legislative session days.
Leader Radogno discussed the fiscal forecast for Illinois as “bleak” if the legislative majorities refuse to come to the table. With no meaningful reforms or revenue enhancements, Illinois is projected to have a $5 billion hole in the Fiscal Year 2016 budget and by June 30, 2016, the state could have $9 billion in unpaid bills. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget recently released three-year fiscal projections mandated by state statute, and those numbers are even more disturbing.
Illinois’ current “auto-pilot” budget – the result of a number of court orders and consent decrees – will move the state’s backlog of bills to $25 billion by June 30, 2020. Leader Radogno also said she believes House Speaker Madigan will do anything to maintain the “status quo” despite the catastrophic fiscal damage, if no action is taken.
To view Leader Radogno’s address, visit: http://senategop.state.il.us/News/RecentNews/TabId/121/p/65281/v/2000/video-radogno-addresses-city-club-of-chicago.aspx