SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — State lawmakers approved a more than $42 billion Illinois state budget for the new fiscal year late Monday night.
The budget passed the Illinois House and Senate along party lines, with Democrats touting the plan.
Illinois’ new budget includes more money for education, closes some corporate tax breaks and spends a portion of the Federal American Rescue Plan funding on economic recovery programs for businesses, and pays for violence prevention programs and public health.
Senator Elgie Sims of Chicago said the budget turned out better than he expected.
“This budget is balanced, it’s responsible. It puts us on the path for fiscal responsibility into a brighter day for Illinois,” Sims said.
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said the budget adds hundreds of millions of dollars in new discretionary spending and a raise for state lawmakers.
Republicans received the proposed budget at 11:49 p.m., seven minutes before they were expected to vote.
“A last minute budget…boy, is it last minute. It spends billions of additional dollars irresponsibly,” Durkin said.
