As the Illinois House begins its spring session, I am hopeful — but also realistic — about the work ahead.
The people of Illinois are hurting. Families are paying more for groceries, utilities, fuel, and housing, while job creators and entrepreneurs continue to struggle under the weight of high taxes and excessive regulation. They are looking to Springfield for relief, not excuses.
This session must be about discipline and priorities. Illinois does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. For too long, government has grown faster than the taxpayers’ ability to support it. We need to start serious conversations now — at the beginning of the year — about cutting taxes and restraining spending, not wait until May when budgets are rushed, deals are cut behind closed doors, and taxpayers are handed the bill after the fact.
If we are serious about making Illinois an affordable place to live, work, and retire with dignity, those discussions must be transparent, bipartisan, and focused on outcomes that actually help working families. Kicking the can down the road or relying on one-time fixes and gimmicks only guarantees we’ll be back in the same position next year, or worse.
I also hope the Democratic supermajority chooses cooperation over going it alone. One-party rule is what got Illinois into this financial mess in the first place. Ignoring dissenting voices has not worked, and it will not work now. Good policy comes from debate, accountability, and a willingness to admit when the status quo has failed.
Republicans stand ready to work on real solutions — lower taxes, responsible budgets, and a government that lives within its means, just like the families we represent. Illinoisans deserve a General Assembly that listens to them, respects their hard work, and treats their tax dollars with the care they expect.
The spring session is our opportunity to prove we’ve learned from the past. Let’s not waste it.
State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, represents Illinois’ 90th House District, an area that encompasses parts of Boone, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Illinois families deserve relief not excuses | Opinion
Reporting by John Cabello, Special to the Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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