Reaction from some area State Legislators to Governor Bruce Rauner’s budget address was generally spit among party lines:
A release from Democratic State Senator Scott Bennett stated: ““Once again, I heard very little in the budget address today to make me believe that the governor has come to understand the importance of education and a willingness to turn the tide and stand up for our local schools, colleges and universities. His proposed budget only adds financial pressure on schools and universities that have already been starved and endured three years of chaos and uncertainty during the budget stalemate that he created.”
Republican State Senator Jason Barickman thought favorably of the speech: “The Governor’s proposed budget offered a roadmap for what will be required to enact a balanced spending plan for the next fiscal year. Everyone has been saying for years that we need to change the way the state spends money and this proposal does just that. But make no mistake, however we move forward on a budget, there will be some very tough decisions to be made.”
