State Representative Ryan Spain said on June 1 that he opposed the FY 27 State Budget, which was passed around 4:00 a.m. following the midnight May 31 deadline. Spain said, “I opposed this year’s largest-in-history state budget, which only provided pennies in relief while delivering undeserved pay raises for politicians worth thousands. This budget continues funding for misplaced priorities like healthcare for illegal immigrants and it punts fixing downstate road fund raids until summer.”
Spain, who serves as Deputy Republican Leader and House Republican Budgeteer, also said, “That being said, Illinois House Democrats were more open than past years about the annual spending plan, but communicating earlier would have saved millions of dollars by incorporating Republican ideas which enjoy popular support like no tax on tips and overtime, as well as real gas price relief.”
Illinoisans pay the highest combined state and local tax rate in the country. The state’s burden is driven by property, sales and excise taxes that exceed national averages and those in neighboring states, according to WalletHub.
Spain filed several bills this spring aimed at providing taxpayer relief: House Bill 5738 for Gas Price Relief on April 2; House Bill 1383 to eliminate taxes on tips; and House Bill 5782 to reject politician pay hikes. None of these measures were allowed a hearing during the Spring Session of the Illinois General Assembly.
Spain was elected to represent Illinois’ 73rd District in the State House in 2017, replacing previous representative David R. Leitch, according to his office.
