Savanna Mayor Tony McCombie, Republican candidate for House District 71, urged her Democratic opponent, Rep. Mike Smiddy, to return to Springfield to work on a new balanced budget after the Illinois legislature failed to pass a budget before adjourning from its spring session last week.
"It is disappointing (that) our representative, Mike Smiddy, would leave Springfield without passing a balanced budget or even voting on Madigan’s dishonorable budget, again failing and putting our schools and communities at risk," McCombie said.
When presented with House Speaker Mike Madigan's (D-District 22) proposed budget last week, which ultimately was voted down in the Senate, Smiddy voted "present" on two different occasions.
Voting "present" on a bill is essentially voting against the bill, but lawmakers use this type of vote to send a message that they generally agree with the bill but it needs work.
McCombie earlier said Smiddy's vote showed complete apathy.
"We have serious problems, and we need people representing us that are willing and wanting to protect and keep people in Illinois," McCombie said.
McCombie reminded Smiddy that a balanced budget is mandated by the Illinois constitution. At more than $7 billion in the red, Madigan's proposed budget was not acceptable, she said.
"Madigan and his allies have not been open to reforms that could create jobs, fully fund our schools, safely operate our prisons, provide social services and other reliant state services," McCombie said.
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