Rep. David S. Olsen Reacts to Passage of Balanced FY 2019 Budget

A balanced budget that passed with wide, bipartisan support is on its way to Governor Bruce Rauner. Following Wednesday’s Senate passage on a 56-2 vote and its 97-18 passage in the Illinois House on Thursday, State Representative David S. Olsen (R-Downers Grove) issued the following statement:

“Today I supported a full year budget package that is balanced, includes no new taxes, and which was crafted through true and honest bipartisanship. While I would have preferred more input from rank and file members during the process and wish there was more done to cut State spending and reduce our tax burden, the budgeteers who crafted this budget are to be commended for engaging in a process based upon cooperation and respectful compromise.”

“This budget shows, for the first time in many years, some spending restraint. It includes $1.2 billion less in spending than would have occurred in a status quo budget, while fully funding the new K-12 education funding formula. It also offers important new pension reform measures, like voluntary pension benefit buyouts and capping end-of-career salary bumps that lead to pension spiking.”

“This balanced budget, while not perfect, is an example of the positive results that can be achieved when politics and partisanship are set aside. Much hard work remains, and I hope the good will we saw here today can serve as a starting point for future collaborative efforts to improve Illinois’ economy, grow jobs, and ultimately place our state on solid financial footing.”