Carbondale Reporter

Following Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2021 Budget Address, 115th District State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) asked for a real balanced budget plan.

“We deserve a better plan going forward for a truly balanced budget with no tax increases on businesses or working families,” he said.

“House Republicans have supported legislation in the past that has resulted in increased private investment in our state,” Jacobs stated further. "The Governor’s FY 22 budget goes back on his agreement to support these programs. The Governor just today proposed a $900 million increase in taxes on small businesses.”

He also criticized Pritzker for not taking responsibility for the closure of many businesses resulting in loss of revenue and population.

“His Executive Orders have ruined our economy and blown a hole in the budget,” he said.

He also recalled that in 2020, Pritzker ordered state agency directors to produce a list of cuts of 6 percent across the board. Yet, he noted that “no one has ever seen that list.”

But then, Pritzker called on Republicans in the super minority to produce their list of cuts.

Jacobs also reminded the governor that the incentives for struggling businesses are not corporate loopholes as claimed by Pritzker.

“He calls them ‘loopholes’ but in reality, it’s a tax increase on businesses when they can least afford it,” Jacobs said.