State Rep. Jerry Costello was one of just 20 Illinois House and Senate members to oppose a “smoke and mirrors” budget plan that isn’t really balanced, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.
Gov. Bruce Rauner approved a state budget that includes spending $38.5 billion and borrowing an estimated $11.5 billion over the next year.
“To make the budget appear balanced on paper, lawmakers are relying on a number of common budgetary gimmicks that don’t actually lead to balance,” wrote Adam Schuster, director of Budget and Tax Research at the Illinois Policy Institute. “These gimmicks account for the fact that despite a constitutional balanced budget requirement, Illinois has not had a truly balanced budget since at least 2001.”
State Rep. Jerry Costello
The General Assembly approved the plan last week, with just 18 Republicans and two Democrats voting against and 177 legislators voting in support.
How Southwest Illinois legislators voted
| Legislator | Vote |
| Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) | Yes |
| Rep. Jerry Costello II (D-Smithton) | No |
| Sen. Paul Schimpf (R-Okawville) | Yes |
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