- Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 10:32 AM
SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Andy Manar (D-Bunker Hill) voted against granting Gov. Quinn an extension on the state-mandated deadline to submit a fiscal year 2014 budget. This is the fourth time in as many years that the governor has requested more time to submit the spending plan to the General Assembly.
“By yet again extending the date in which the governor is responsible for submitting his budget proposal to the Legislature, Quinn is sending the message that we aren’t serious about addressing the state’s budget concerns. That’s the wrong message to send taxpayers who expect us to begin solving fiscal problems,” Manar said.
In years past, Quinn has cited various reasons for a needing an extension, including changes in his budget staff, dealing with Blagojevich’s impeachment and refocusing after a contested primary.
“The governor isn’t currently involved in a primary race, nor is he dealing with the impeachment of his predecessor, so what legitimate excuse does he have for needing more time to submit his budget?” Manar questioned.
“To me, it’s reasonable to expect that the administration should meet the deadline they’ve known about for a year.”
House Bill 156 moves the date of the governor’s budget address to March 6, two weeks later than current state law requires.
