The State Legislature wrapped up its spring session early Saturday morning with the passage of a state budget that includes more than $1.8-billion in tax relief.
Some of the provisions are temporary, such as lifting the one percent grocery tax for a year and delaying a scheduled increase in the gas tax until January. The budget also doubles the property tax rebate up to $300 and sends a one-time payment of at least $50 bucks to most individuals and $100 bucks per kid.
Decatur Representative Sue Scherer says this is what people need.
“We have to do something. Is this the perfect answer? I’d be the first one to say it is not. I will also be the first one to say, ‘I’m not going home to my constituents and saying I did nothing.”
But Senator Chapin Rose of Champaign isn’t impressed, saying people need a permanent relief, not quick fixes.
“This is really a missed opportunity. It’s a missed opportunity for the people of Illinois to get their money back. They are the ones busting their butt every day to go out of bed every day to go to work to pay these taxes. They are the ones being hit at the pump and it is going to expire as soon as the election is over, wow.”
The earned income tax credit which helps low-income working families will be expanded and there will also be a sales tax holiday for back-to-school purchases in August.
