In this issue:
- State revenue down in November
- IDOT needs snowplow drivers
- Law enforcement advisory group
- Traveling Office Hours coming up
Thank you for reading my e-newsletter. For the latest news from state government or to share your ideas and opinions, please visit my legislative website at repbunting.com.
State revenue declines in November
November’s figures from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability showed a drop in income tax revenue for the state compared to last year.
In November 2022, the state collected $1.915 billion in income tax revenue, but this year that number fell to $1.802 billion, a decrease of $113 million. The decline reflected job losses and a drop in tax payments from investment income and other non-paycheck pathways. Sales tax revenues also fell last month, down by $20 million.
Personal income tax payments had been up in the first four months of the state’s fiscal year, which begins on July 1. In all, revenue from personal income tax payments was up by $510 million compared to the similar period in 2022. It was this additional income tax revenue which made it possible for the state to cover the heightened spending included in the new state budget. The budget spends $50.428 billion this year, with a projected $50.611 billion in revenue. With such a small margin for error, the state has very little wiggle room to accommodate declines in revenue like the one seen last month.
IDOT needs snowplow drivers
Did you know last winter IDOT spread 318,604 tons of salt and plowed more than 17,000 miles in Illinois? That’s equivalent to driving from New York City to L.A. and back about three times!
The Illinois Department of Transportation is in the process of hiring Snowbirds for the winter season.
District 1 includes Will County
District 3 includes Ford, Grundy, Iroquois, LaSalle, & Livingston Counties
District 5 includes McLean County
You can apply at: illinois.jobs2web.com.
Meeting with law enforcement advisory group
We hosted our second Law Enforcement Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday morning at the Livingston County Jail.
We discussed staffing and recruitment, the SAFE-T Act, Illinois’ assault weapons ban, and the numerous scams that are going around.
Thank you to those who were able to attend!
Traveling Office Hours coming up in Ford and Iroquois County
I will be hosting a couple of Traveling Office Hours events in Ford and Iroquois County later this month. You can always contact me through my website or my offices in Dwight or Watseka, but Traveling Office Hours bring the services of my district office to your hometown.
On Tuesday December 19 I will be at Tea and Grounds at the Railside Golf Course, located at 120 W. 19th Street in Gibson City from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
That afternoon I will be at the Gathering at 931 S. Crescent Street in Gilman from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
After the start of the new year, I will be hosting another set of traveling office hours in Piper City and Cissna Park.
On Thursday January 4 I will be at the Hummingbird Coffee House at 105 N. Green Street in Piper City from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. That afternoon I will be at Kino’s Coffee at 109 N. 2nd Street in Cissna Park from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.
If there is any way I can be helpful to you with state government, or if you just want to come by and share a comment or ask a question, I hope you will stop by.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
It has been a great honor to serve as your voice in Springfield this year, and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent you.
This holiday season is a time to reflect on the year about to pass and to look with excitement on the new year about to begin. It’s a time for joy, a time to remember those less fortunate and also those who are deployed far away protecting our freedoms.
From my family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and healthy new year!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $1,307,403,526. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $2.0 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois
Places in Illinois with the lowest cost of living, a few in our area
Illinois police issue warning of scam targeting seniors
Groups, including Illinois Corn Growers, applaud measure to protect automobile choice