The Illinois Policy Institute introduced a budget reform plan that it says balances the state budget and closes Illinois' projected $7.1 billion budget deficit without a tax increase.
Institute CEO John Tillman says raising taxes will not fix Illinois. He says the state must reform the way it spends the taxpayers' money.
"We must slow the growth of spending to a rate below the growth in revenues. It is that simple. Spending must rise more slowly than revenues. That is the only solution."
The Illinois Policy Institute's budget proposal calls for reforms in five major policy areas, including, comprehensive property tax reform; ending Illinois' pension crisis through self-managed plans; aligning AFSCME's costs with what taxpayers can afford; streamlining Medicaid spending and higher education reform that prioritizes students over administrators.
You can read the institute's full budget proposal at illin.is/budgetsolutions.
