From State Rep. Marty McLaughlin:
Rep. McLaughlin Slams Billion-Dollar Energy Giveaway as Budget Deadline Nears
Springfield…With less than 60 hours remaining before the state budget deadline, State Representative Martin McLaughlin (R–Lake Barrington) is calling out Governor Pritzker and legislative Democrats for continuing to operate behind closed doors—leaving Illinois families in the dark while taxpayer dollars are carved up in secret.
“Once again, the governor and a small group of insiders are holed up, cutting backroom deals with your hard-earned tax dollars,” said Rep. McLaughlin.
“This is not transparency.
“This is not leadership.
“This is a slap in the face to every working family trying to make ends meet.”
Rep. McLaughlin joined eight of his House and Senate colleagues at a capitol press conference demanding accountability, transparency, and responsible spending.
He specifically pointed to Senate Bill 40, which includes a $1 billion incentive package for a Chinese-affiliated battery storage company.
“The same company that Illinois is handing a billion dollars to is getting zero in incentives from Texas and Michigan.
“So why is Governor Pritzker more concerned with Beijing than with communities like Barrington or Batavia?” McLaughlin asked.
“This is about misplaced priorities and a refusal to answer basic questions.”
McLaughlin emphasized that while Democrats push last-minute tax hikes and giveaways to foreign corporations, working families continue to shoulder the burden, facing taxes on tips, overtime, and now new service fees expected in the upcoming budget.
“This is not a clean energy plan,” McLaughlin concluded.
“It’s a clean sweep of the taxpayers’ wallets. It’s time our state government started treating taxpayers with respect and stopped fueling this spending addiction. Illinois families deserve better.”
