GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed ways for Illinois to better fund pensions, but one of the governor’s potential challengers in November says the real answer lies in the state budget.

With Illinois’ public sector pension liability around $140 billion, the governor issued a statement Monday to suggest extending the state’s pension buyout program and transferring unexpected surplus income tax revenues toward pension commitments.

Former state Sen. Darren Bailey contends that the answer to funding pensions should involve addressing state spending that surged after Pritzker took office.

“I believe that when we crack this budget open and start showing the people where all this is going, I think we’re going to have most of what we need to work with to start tamping down on property taxes, energy prices and especially working with our pensions,” Bailey told The Center Square.

Bailey said the state budget rose from around $32 billion in 2017 to more than $55 billion this year.

Bailey and fellow Republican gubernatorial candidates Ted Dabrowski, Rick Heidner and James Mendrick have all pointed to billions of state taxpayer dollars spent on people who are in the United States illegally.

Dabrowski held a press conference in Chicago on Monday. The former Wirepoints president said Pritzker promised in 2020 to fix property taxes, but those taxes and others have gone up by billions of dollars.

“What’s interesting now about Gov. Pritzker is, he’s running on a campaign to say that he’s focused on affordability. Affordability is his worst issue to run on. He doubled the gas tax,” Dabrowski said.

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick posted video on social media of remarks he gave in Aurora last Thursday.

Mendrick cited Freedom of Information Act requests by Illinois House candidate Bailey Templeton and others regarding Medicaid payments.

“When those come in, we’re going to end up having another issue like Minnesota. Our Medicaid is being killed. Our benefits are being wasted,” Mendrick said.

In a social media post Friday, Heidner suggested President Donald Trump’s administration would address alleged fraud in Illinois.

“Illinois better clean house fast. Trump’s accountability train is coming,” Heidner posted.

Early voting for the March 17 primary election begins Thursday.

Pritzker is running unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.

Greg Bishop contributed to this story.

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