NW Illinois News

The 2023-2024 Illinois budget has elicited strong responses from Republicans who say it was ushered through with little regard for the citizenry.

““This budget is nothing short of a slap in the face to every hardworking taxpayer in Illinois. It’s not just irresponsible, it’s offensive,” State Rep. John M. Cabello (R-Machesney Park) said in a release after the budget passed. “The last thing the people of Illinois need is their Governor sitting there and lying to their faces, as if they were incapable of seeing through his political pork.”  

The news release expresses Cabello’s "complete outrage" at the budget that was passed late last month. He raged against legislator pay increases "to $89,675 per lawmaker (increased from $85,000 in FY23)," pork projects, and a lack of effort to halt increasing crime across the state.

The proposed budget and the budget-in-brief document, released on Feb. 15 touted improvements in the state’s financial situation,  a $1.9 billion Rainy Day Fund balance, and pension liability reductions, including a savings of $4 billion. The proposed budget was $49.6 billion. The budget is available here. 

Senate Democrats had passed the budget on May 25 and sent it to the House of Representatives for their passage and discussion. The House passed it early Saturday morning May 27. While Democrats hold the majority in the Senate, there was Republican input into the budget negotiation process, which Republican legislators appreciated, WAND TV reported. 

In his news release, Cabello made what he called a simple demand: “It’s time to put the politics aside and put the people of Illinois first. Our 40 House Republican members represent every single one of Illinois’ 102 counties, yet not a single one of us was involved in the creation of this budget. If this budget was truly as balanced and responsible as Pritzker and House Democrats say it is, then they would have listened to our ideas before presenting the FY2024 Budget to us in the middle of the night. They ought to be embarrassed.”

Cabello was first appointed to represent the 68th House District in 2012, then was elected in November 2012. He was re-elected in every election between 2012 and 2018. Four years later, he was elected to represent the new 90th House District. He has also served on township and county boards. His House biography calls him a "conservative Republican who has opposed the tax and fee increases and believes that government should live within its means.”