Chambana Sun

State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) issued a statement after voting against Governor Pritzker’s budget, which allocates over $53 billion for Fiscal Year 2025.

“There has been a $13 billion increase in spending since Governor Pritzker took office in 2019. This budget alone contained nearly $1 billion in tax hikes on the people of Illinois only to funnel nearly $1 billion toward spending on Governor Pritzker’s self-created illegal immigrant crisis. Free healthcare for immigrants is a homing beacon, bringing non-citizens to our state only to have Illinoisans foot the bill. This cost falls directly on the backs of the working people of this state," said Rose.

Rose further criticized the allocation of funds from the gas tax to support electric vehicle incentives. “Speaking of working people, Pritzker is stealing money out of the gas tax to divert to a new program to buy $75,000 electric vehicles for rich people. That money is coming right out of the working people of Illinois’ pockets and then used to give $4,000 EV credits to buy $75,000 electric cars. People in Casey, Illinois, and the rest of the 51st District can’t afford a $75,000 car. Pritzker is out of his mind."

Addressing grocery tax relief measures included in the budget, Rose remarked: “Then, Pritzker says he is going to do grocery tax relief. Well, the grocery tax relief does not start for another 18 months. In the meantime, he is letting all your local municipalities have free rein to raise taxes on not just groceries but for most of the towns I represent, all merchandise. He is soaking the working people of this state in taxes to pay for illegal immigrants, EV credits for the rich, and to raise local taxes on small communities."

Rose concluded his statement by rejecting Governor Pritzker's vision for Illinois: "This is nuts, but that is J.B. Pritzker’s vision for Illinois and America. However, it is not mine, and I voted no.”