Illinois - Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration has identified millions of dollars of cuts it will make to the new state budget, including to human services, agriculture programs and transportation.
article by Doug Finke for The State-Journal Register | Oct. 17, 2017
Even then, the administration says the budget remains $1.5 billion out of balance, which will require further reductions.
The cuts were outlined in materials provided to the four legislative caucuses by Rauner’s budget office.
Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, the lead budget negotiator for House Democrats, said the cuts included $89 million to various human services programs, including autism services, after school programming and immigrant and refugee services.
“The governor received a budget $1.7 billion out of balance and has to take action where possible to begin reducing that structural imbalance,” she said.
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, who chairs one of the Senate appropriations committees, said she hasn’t had a chance to fully review all of the cuts and fully determine their effect. She said her initial review is that the administration did not gut programs that have traditionally been targeted in the administration’s budget proposals.
Harris said cuts were made to soil and water conservation districts, cooperative extension, county fair assistance, business development and tourism grants. He also said there are 5 percent reductions to para-transit and senior citizen reduced fares, as well as cuts to operations at IDOT.
Although the legislature approved the budget in early July, it only authorizes the governor to spend money on programs up to a certain limit.
“The legislature appropriates and the governor spends,” Steans said. “It is certainly within their legal authority not to spend everything we appropriate.”
Rauner has repeatedly said the budget approved by lawmakers contains a $1.7 billion deficit, despite an income tax increase passed to help cover state expenses. In an Economic and Fiscal Policy Report filed with the General Assembly last week, the administration said it had identified “approximately $150 million in general funds deficit spending reductions to decrease the deficit to $1.5 billion.”
Rauner has said he wants to work with lawmakers to find additional savings to bring the budget into balance. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, sent a letter to Rauner saying he had appointed a working group headed by Harris to work with the administration on budget issues.
“There’s been no response to that that I know of,” Harris said.
Even then, the administration says the budget remains $1.5 billion out of balance, which will require further reductions.
The cuts were outlined in materials provided to the four legislative caucuses by Rauner’s budget office.
Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, the lead budget negotiator for House Democrats, said the cuts included $89 million to various human services programs, including autism services, after school programming and immigrant and refugee services.
“He has the authority, I understand that,” Harris said. “If you look at the human service programs, it is the same vulnerable seniors, people with disabilities and children that he has consistently targeted year after year despite the legislature continually trying to restore the funds. Those are his regular targets.”Rauner spokeswoman Patty Schuh said the governor was forced to make reductions.
“The governor received a budget $1.7 billion out of balance and has to take action where possible to begin reducing that structural imbalance,” she said.
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, who chairs one of the Senate appropriations committees, said she hasn’t had a chance to fully review all of the cuts and fully determine their effect. She said her initial review is that the administration did not gut programs that have traditionally been targeted in the administration’s budget proposals.
"I believe they worked to preserve those greatly, and that’s about 95 percent (funding level),” Steans said. “I certainly appreciate they’re not just going in and cutting those willy-nilly. ... They may have made some reductions, but primarily they were keeping all of those programs and not just going to zero on them.”In addition to the human services cuts, the administration outlined $85 million in cuts to the Illinois Department of Transportation, $41 million to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and $21 million to the Department of Agriculture.
Harris said cuts were made to soil and water conservation districts, cooperative extension, county fair assistance, business development and tourism grants. He also said there are 5 percent reductions to para-transit and senior citizen reduced fares, as well as cuts to operations at IDOT.
Although the legislature approved the budget in early July, it only authorizes the governor to spend money on programs up to a certain limit.
“The legislature appropriates and the governor spends,” Steans said. “It is certainly within their legal authority not to spend everything we appropriate.”
Rauner has repeatedly said the budget approved by lawmakers contains a $1.7 billion deficit, despite an income tax increase passed to help cover state expenses. In an Economic and Fiscal Policy Report filed with the General Assembly last week, the administration said it had identified “approximately $150 million in general funds deficit spending reductions to decrease the deficit to $1.5 billion.”
Rauner has said he wants to work with lawmakers to find additional savings to bring the budget into balance. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, sent a letter to Rauner saying he had appointed a working group headed by Harris to work with the administration on budget issues.
“There’s been no response to that that I know of,” Harris said.
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20171017/rauner-cuts-human-services-other-area-in-state-budget
No comments:
Post a Comment