Kane County Reporter

GOP state House candidate Dan Ugaste wishes that legislators could have stuck more firmly to their principles in negotiating the state’s new $38.5 billion budget.

“I would have liked something based on more solid numbers, something with more reforms and relief for overburdened taxpayers,” he told the Kane County Reporter. “But, then, [with] the Democrats, we’re dealing with a group of people that are more interested in spending than anything else. As a Republican, I would have liked to have a lot more reforms than what’s included in this plan.”

While some have speculated that the general election in November may have factored in GOP lawmakers falling in line, including Gov. Bruce Rauner, who has found himself in a tight re-election battle with Democrat J.B. Pritzker, Ugaste said he doesn’t think he could have gone along quite so quietly.

“I would have pushed back hard on some things that are part of this,” he said. “The Illinois Policy Institute has already estimated that this budget could be as much as $1.5 billion out of balance, and I know IPI usually does a thorough job of looking at the numbers. I have no reason at all to doubt what they’ve uncovered.”

Ugaste, a Geneva Republican who is running against Democrat Richard Johnson to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District, said that too much of the plan is based on conjecture.

“I know it’s a negotiated process, but too much of it seems predicated on things that may or may not happen,” he said. “Again, not much seems [to be] on solid ground, and that makes it harder on everyone.”

The 65th House District includes Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Pingree Grove, Hampshire and Huntley.