June 30,
2011
To the
Honorable Members of
The Illinois House of Representatives,
97th
General Assembly:
House Bill
327 appropriates money for the operation of state government for fiscal year
2012. As public servants, we have the unique opportunity to revive our
economy while enacting reforms that will create jobs, educate our youth,
protect our most vulnerable and keep our communities safe. Implementing the
budget is not a one-day event, but rather, like budgeting, a year-round process,
filled with robust debate and difficult decisions. Indeed, while budgets are
often viewed in the context of a single fiscal year, budgetary decisions made
in any given fiscal year can have long-term consequences that impact and often
limit budgetary options and decision-making in future fiscal years. With this
in mind, and after carefully reviewing the budget passed by the General
Assembly, I have identified areas for further development, improvement and reduction.
Today I am
enacting a $32.987 billion fiscal year 2012 general revenue funds budget. Overall,
I am reducing the budget passed by the General Assembly by $376,438,750 in
general funds and $336,158,900 in other state funds, for a total overall budget
reduction of $712,597,650. We need to come together to reduce our growing
Medicaid liabilities to address the fact that the General Assembly shifted $1.2
billion of fiscal year 2012 Medicaid costs into fiscal year 2013. Neglecting
our bills today only creates bigger problems for
tomorrow—an ill-advised strategy that, together with the poor fiscal discipline
exercised by previous administrations, has created and will exacerbate the
staggering backlog of unpaid bills we face today. With these reductions, I am
implementing smart efficiencies and reforms that will support Illinois on its
continuing path to fiscal and economic recovery.
Illinois leads the Midwest in job creation,
creating more than 100,000 jobs since January 2010. Also in 2010, Illinois exports, which support more than half a million Illinois jobs, increased by 20
percent.
We need to
invest in education by reducing high administrative costs and reallocating
those funds to the classroom, particularly in early childhood education and
general state aid. I have also emphasized the need to protect our most
vulnerable, our veterans, and those who put their lives on the line to keep our
communities safe.
I
look forward to continued work with all four caucuses to discuss the serious
challenges of stabilizing our budget and creating jobs, as well as the
important and ongoing issues surrounding payment of Illinois’ overdue bills.
With
respect to House Bill 327, I have vetoed the line item appropriations for
Regional Superintendents Services in the amount of $2,225,050 and Regional
Superintendents and Assistants Compensation in the amount of $9,100,000, which
in each case should be funded by other state funds. I have reduced the line
item appropriation for MCAT- Transportation - Regular by $89,000,000.
Therefore,
pursuant to Article IV, Section 9(d) of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I
hereby return House Bill 327, entitled “AN ACT making appropriations” with
reduction and item vetoes in appropriations totaling $100,325,050.
Item
Vetoes
I
hereby veto the appropriations items listed below:
|
Article
|
Section
|
Page
|
Line(s)
|
Amount
Enacted
|
|
1
|
65
|
7
|
4
|
-
|
7
|
|
9,100,000
|
|
1
|
70
|
7
|
13
|
|
|
|
2,225,050
|
Reduction
I
hereby reduce the appropriation item listed below and approve each item in the
amount set forth in the “Reduced Amount” column below:
|
Article
|
Section
|
Page
|
Line(s)
|
Amount
Enacted
|
Reduced Amount
|
|
1
|
10
|
3
|
14
|
|
|
|
294,808,850
|
205,808,850
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In
addition to these specific item vetoes and reduction, I hereby approve all
other appropriation items in House Bill 327.
Sincerely,
Pat Quinn
Governor
Translate
