Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a new $38.5 billion spending plan on Monday, giving the state of Illinois its first full-year state budget since he took the position. State Representative Dan Swanson talked about what the objective was for state officials when crafting the new budget:
“We went into the budget talks focusing on a balanced budget. We said we wanted a full-year budget with no tax increases, and we were able to hold all three of those,” Swanson stated.
The approved budget will not go into effect until July 1, but Swanson is thankful to finally have some peace of mind.
“We need stability. We need to know; we as a school district are trying to plan our school years and we don’t have a budget in place; what can we expect? Now, we hope we’ve added that stability – although, it was the last day of session – but by golly, we were able to get something done and get it out without ourselves being in Springfield all summer,” he said.
Swanson also cited continued funding for ag education, soil water conservation, and 4-H programs as key components of the new budget.
To hear more from Swanson, click on the link below:
written by Jackson Kane
