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Rock Island Today

Monday, December 23, 2024

Skoog, Bramel urge bipartisan politics to solve budget crisis

Bramel

Jacob Bramel

Jacob Bramel

House District 76 Republican candidate Jacob Bramel noticed a shift in Gov. Bruce Rauner's approach during Wednesday's State of the Budget address.

“I think this time around, with his approach and how gently he spoke, that we are going to see a little bit of a different leadership pace to him than what we’ve seen previously,” Bramel said. "He did mention 'partisan' a lot. He said it’s OK if we don’t enact even half of the turnaround agenda that he had in place and that he ran on; but as long as we can pull a balanced budget out of it, to start moving the state in a different trajectory, I was in complete support.”

Bramel said he also appreciated the governor’s non-negotiable stance on “a clean K-12 bill on increasing funding for K-12 schools.”

“That’s non-negotiable," Bramel said. "That’s something he wants to do regardless, and he wants a clean bill so that he can sign off on it and get more funding -- up to 25 percent for K-12 schools --  because one of the greatest investments is in human capital, which is your mind... . That is something I’m wholeheartedly behind.”

During his address, which lasted a little over half-an-hour, Rauner brought up Senate President John Cullerton’s bill that would shrink Illinois’ $111 billion unfunded pension liability and urged lawmakers to pass the bill.

Illinois is currently providing only 40 percent of the amount required to pay pension benefits because the state’s contributions were neglected for years. Now, the state’s annual payments have blown up to approximately $7 billion, which turns out to be about one-fifth of Illinois’ general fund budget.

Bramel said he believes the pension crisis needs to be addressed immediately.

“He did highlight that Senate President Cullerton did mention that he would propose a pension reform bill that would save taxpayers $1 billion a year and the governor will support, but to this date there is no bill that has been introduced by President Cullerton on any such grounds,” Bramel said. “So we do need that pension reform right now, because paying out the pension obligations is currently taking out 25 percent from our general fund each year when we have a budget.”

Incumbent State Rep. Andy Skoog (D-LaSalle) said he is willing to work with the governor to solve the state’s financial crisis.

“In an attempt to move Illinois forward beyond this crisis, I, along with many of my colleagues in the General Assembly, are willing to compromise with the governor in order for middle-class families to resume getting the help they need from the numerous service agencies that have been adversely affected by this lengthy impasse,” Skoog said.

Skoog made a plea to fellow legislators to “get this budget done.”

“We have the responsibilities as public officials to do what's right for the people of Illinois and especially the 76th District," Skoog said. "These are (people’s) lives we are dealing with, and this is not a political game. It must stop now.”

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