Rauner Approves State Budget for the First Time as Governor
For the first time since he took office, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner approved a full budget on Monday afternoon at a press event at the Thompson Center in Chicago. “Today we are having a small celebration,” said Rauner. “It is not perfect, but it’s a good step in the right direction. The $38.5 billion plan maintains government spending on most levels, but does include cuts - most notably at state agencies, $47 million from Human Services, as well as the same for the Illinois Department of Corrections. The budget contains a $407 million boost to early childhood and K-12 education funding, a $5,000 tax credit for families adopting children, and pays state workers for wage increases made during the tenure of former governor Pat Quinn. Previous iterations of budgets during Rauner's tenure saw massive delays, with the state suffering a massive impasse for several years and only stop-gap measures being approved (Chicago Tribune).