NW Illinois News

State Senator Andrew Chesney has filed a legal challenge against the process used to pass Illinois' $55.2 billion state budget, which he claims was pushed through unconstitutionally and without transparency. Chesney criticized the method as "unconstitutional, unethical, and backroom," alleging that it lacked sufficient time for review or debate.

"The people of Illinois deserve an honest process," Chesney stated. He argued that the budget was forced through by political insiders who bypassed proper procedures, undermining transparency and democracy. According to Chesney, this approach violates the Illinois Constitution's requirement for every bill to be read on three separate days in each chamber—a rule designed to ensure deliberation and protect taxpayers.

Chesney accused Springfield insiders of consistently ignoring this constitutional mandate by altering unrelated bills with substantial spending additions shortly before voting. This year, he noted that Democrats replaced a brief bill with a 3,300-page amendment, finalizing it in under 48 hours.

"This is a deliberate and repeated subversion of the people's Constitution," Chesney said. He highlighted specific issues within the budget, including tax hikes and reduced property tax relief, claiming they were passed without proper public scrutiny.

Citing the defeat of the 2020 Graduated Income Tax Amendment as an example of successful transparency, Chesney argued that allowing voters time to evaluate proposals leads to better outcomes. "When voters had time to study the tax hike proposal and speak out, they crushed it at the ballot box," he said.

Joining Chesney in his legal action are State Representatives Chris Miller, Blaine Wilhour, Adam Niemerg, Brad Halbrook, Jed Davis, and David Friess as co-plaintiffs. Chesney emphasized that this challenge is about upholding constitutional values rather than opposing a single budget.

"This isn't just about one corrupt budget. This is about whether our Constitution means anything at all," Chesney added. He expressed concern over governance being influenced by convenience rather than law and stressed his commitment to ensuring government accountability to its citizens.

The complete complaint is available for public viewing.