The Illinois Budget is a Disaster for Working Families—Smoke-Filled Room—Episode 107

After everything that went down last weekend as lawmakers worked to pass a budget and other legislation ahead of the deadline, we’re here to either say, “congratulations for surviving session,” and “we’re sorry you now have to live with the consequences.”

State Senator Seth Lewis, State Representative John Cabello, CALA-IL Executive Director Phil Melin, and Freedom Caucus Executive Director Collin Mosely, join Collin Corbett this week. A lot happened, and a lot didn’t happen, in the final hours—we have you covered with insiders who were inside the capitol and can tell you what really happened. 

We do a deep dive into the budget, discussing what led up to the final bill and what it means for Illinoisans. Seth and John were on the frontlines and they warn that more tax hikes are coming. John shared how Republicans would ask questions about how things would be funded and Democrats had no answer. And Seth highlights how the manipulated numbers that included pork for Democrat districts that came in hours before the vote made this egregiously bad.

We then talk about the Democrats’ plan to raise taxes on all Illinoisans to fund a bailout for Brandon Johnson’s CTA. We’ll hear about this all summer (and likely the rest of the year), and we must stay vigilant because none of the “revenue” ideas are palatable for working families: a regressive delivery tax, toll increases, stealing funding from collar counties, and maybe even a service tax.

Later we highlight how legislators left town without addressing the energy crisis, a last-minute bill that is a multi-million dollars handout to the trial layers with massive implications for small businesses, and John and Seth give us their thoughts on what happens next ahead of veto and/or special sessions.

We close with news you can use in your fundraising, social media, and voter outreach, before giving our OGs & clowns of the week, and closing thoughts.

00:00: Introductions
02:35: Illinois Democrats Hike Taxes $1 Billion to Fund Record Spending
34:27: Democrats Trying to Raise Taxes on All Illinoisans to Fund Bailout of Brandon Johnson's CTA
57:25: Working Families Paying the Price as Springfield Democrats Do Nothing to Address Energy Crisis
01:01:29: Trial Lawyers Given Last-Minute Gift with Huge Cost Implications for Illinois Businesses and Residents
01:08:06: With So Much Undone, Expect Packed Agendas for Veto or Even Special Sessions
01:12:16: Bears Move to Arlington Heights Faces Big Obstacles in Springfield
01:17:01 Small Businesses in Illinois Pay the 2nd Highest Corporate Taxes in America 
01:18:35: Kankakee County Meat Packing Plant Closing, Jobs Shifting to Wisconsin
01:20:30: Chicago is Literally Sinking 
01:21:17: Tariffs Predicted by CBO to Reduce US Deficit by $2.5 Trillion
01:23:33: OG & Clown of the Week
01:35:05: Closing Thoughts