Kane County Reporter

Rep. Keith Wheeler (R-Oswego) says Illinois can't have a budget until it knows what will be in its billfold.

“Its common sense that you can’t determine how much you’re going to spend, and on which priorities, until you know how much revenue you have,” Wheeler said. “Illinois families and taxpayers understand this principle, and until two years ago, the state did, too.”

With that in mind, the first-term representative has introduced three bills that he hopes will make a state budget possible by basing it on revenue projections. House Joint Resolution 49 would use the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability data, House Joint Resolution 50 would use the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, and House Joint Resolution 51 would average the estimates from the two.

Wheeler introduced the bills to try to spur the General Assembly toward achieving the state’s first budget deal in nearly two years.

“Even though I am a relative newcomer to Springfield, I have learned firsthand how the budget impasse has a devastating impact on families and the human service providers who care for the most vulnerable in our community," he said. "By law, we are required to begin by adopting a revenue estimate. I have filed legislation to do just that."